U.Va. goalie is making the most of his opportunity
Friday, Apr 25, 2008 - 12:07 AM

ACC LACROSSE TOURNAMENT
at Klockner Stadium
Today's semifinals:Duke vs. UNC, 5 p.m.; Maryland vs. U.Va., 7:30 p.m.
Sunday's championship:3:30 p.m.

By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE In November 2002, a Collegiate School senior from Midlothian signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at the University of Virginia. Michael "Bud" Petit, one of the nation's most sought-after goalies, was 18 years old.

By the time he finally became U.Va.'s starter, Petit was 23 and had a bachelor's degree in studio art. The other members of his recruiting class had scattered.

Perseverance, thy name is Bud Petit.

"I get to know them better when they're here for five years," U.Va. coach Dom Starsia said, smiling. "It's a great story, I think, and for Bud and for all of us, I hope we can make it a storybook ending at the same time."

The ACC tournament begins tonight at Klockner Stadium, and the 6-4, 195-pound Petit, a graduate student in the Curry School of Education, will make his fourth straight start when third-ranked Virginia (11-2) meets No. 8 Maryland (8-4) in the second semifinal.

"It's just a whole different game than I've been noticing for the last four-and-a-half years," Petit said of his new role. "It's a lot of fun, that's for sure, and I'm really glad I came back and got an opportunity."

Anyway, he added, "I feel like I'm probably going to get a job some day, and from what I hear, I definitely don't want to do that compared to this."

Petit, who redshirted in 2004, backed up classmate Kip Turner for the next three seasons. Little separated the two in terms of talent, but the coaching staff believed the steadier Turner gave the team a better chance to win. Virginia advanced to the NCAA semifinals in 2005 and won the national title a year later. As much as the team's success pleased Petit, he wanted to contribute more.

"It was just the best of times and also the worst of times," Petit said last summer of his college experience.

Until this year, he'd started only one game - against Manhattan in February 2005. And when Petit decided to return for a fifth year at U.Va., he did so knowing the program had added a heralded goalie named Adam Ghitelman. In February, Starsia named Ghitelman as the starter, and the freshman from Long Island, N.Y., held the job for the Cavaliers' first 10 games.

"Bud is one of those guys that everyone likes, everyone appreciates," senior attackman Ben Rubeor said. "It was a tough situation for him and for us, too. We had two very good goalies for the past four years, and then you get Ghitelman coming in this year. But it's an inspiration to see a guy who can come off the bench, who brings a certain appreciation for it, because he's had the other perspective."

After Ghitelman struggled in Virginia's 13-7 loss at Maryland, Starsia turned to Petit. With Petit in the cage, U.Va. beat North Carolina 12-11 in overtime April 5 and then lost to No. 2 Duke a week later. Petit missed the final quarter of that loss after injuring his left hip, but he declared himself fit for Virginia's next game.

"There's no way I'm sitting out any more," Petit said after making seven saves in U.Va.'s 11-7 win over Dartmouth last weekend.

More than once during his first four years at U.Va., when his frustration boiled over, Petit broke down and cried in Starsia's office. His mood is more upbeat as the end of his college career nears.

"He's more relaxed now," Starsia said. "I was always concerned about him. He was so volatile emotionally, and so you worry about a guy like that in the goal a little bit. His ability to handle all this and to deal with it in a mature fashion - and then to be ready when the opportunity came - speaks to the person he's become."

ACC honors
U.Va. placed three players on the 11-man all-ACC team, which is determined by a vote of the league's four head coaches.

Leading the way for the Cavaliers is senior attackman Ben Rubeor, selected for the third consecutive year. He leads the team with 26 goals this season despite missing the first three games with an injury.

Junior attackman Danny Glading joins Rubeor as a repeat selection from last season.

Sophomore midfielder Brian Carroll is a first-time all-conference honoree.

ALL-ACC TEAM
M Brian Carroll, So., Virginia; D Joe Cinosky, Sr., Maryland; A Matt Danowski, Sr., Duke; A Danny Glading, Jr., Virginia; A Zack Greer, Sr., Duke; M Ben Hunt, Jr., North Carolina; D Tony McDevitt, Sr, Duke; A Max Quinzani, So, Duke; M Jeff Reynolds, Jr., Maryland; A Ben Rubeor, Sr., Virginia; G Grant Zimmerman, Jr., North Carolina
Player of the year: Danowski
Rookie of the year: Mike Manley, Duke, defenseman Coach of the year: Dave Cottle, Maryland


 

Three-seed Virginia seeks revenge in ACC Tournament
Team looks to make amends in rematch with No. 2 seed Terps, anticipates Blue Devils in final
Megan McDonald, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
I
If the No. 3 Virginia men's lacrosse team is to win the 2008 ACC Tournament, it will most likely have to defeat the only two teams it has lost to thus far this season -- ­No. 8 Maryland and No. 2 Duke.

Although Virginia is ranked ahead of the Terrapins in the national polls, the Cavaliers finished behind Maryland in the ACC standings. Seeded third in the tournament, Virginia (11-2, 1-2 ACC) squares off against the No. 2 seed Maryland (8-4, 2-1 ACC) Friday night at Klöckner Stadium. Top-seeded Duke (13-1, 3-0 ACC) will play No. 4 seed North Carolina (8-4, 0-3 ACC) earlier in the afternoon, with the winners of each semifinal facing off Sunday in the championship.

The regular-season meeting between the two teams March 29 was a rude awakening for the Cavaliers. Going into the game as the No. 1 team in the country, Virginia had not expected to lose 13-7 to Maryland at College Park.

"We are really focused on Maryland," junior attackman Danny Glading said. "Since they played a lot better than we did the first time, we are all excited about it and it is not intimidating at all, because we know that on any given day you can play better than your opponent."

Meanwhile, Virginia hopes to take the lessons it learned during that regular-season contest and make the necessary adjustments before Friday's game. Glading emphasized the need for the Cavaliers to take better care of the ball offensively and in the midfield this time.

"In that game, when we had the ball, we tried to force some things on offense," Glading said. "We also need to do better on the groundballs in the middle of the field so that we can have some more possessions than the last time."

As for practice this week, Glading said he has noticed a difference in the focus and intensity the team has brought. With the knowledge that from here on out it is win-or-go-home, every Cavalier wants to make the most of the clean slate the postseason provides.

That is certainly the mindset of senior goalkeeper Bud Petit. The starting goalie since the Maryland upset, Petit is eager to have his turn against the Terrapins' offense.

"I know a couple guys on the Maryland team and so it will be fun to play against them," Petit said. "I have played Maryland a couple times before, but this is the first time when I will be in against them and it will really count -- that's exciting."

While Maryland's principal attackmen are mostly freshmen, the Terrapins are considered one of the deepest teams in college lacrosse, making them a serious offense threat. Because it is nearly impossible for the Cavalier defensemen to pin down how Maryland will come at them, the Terrapins pose quite a challenge for Petit and his back line.

"We have made a few defensive adjustments regarding player personnel," Petit said. "But other than that I think we are doing mostly the same stuff. We know them a little better now so hopefully those adjustments will help us prevent them from scoring as much as last time."

While the ACC is small in terms of the number of teams, it is nevertheless a lacrosse powerhouse, as last place North Carolina sits at the bottom of the conference with a No. 12 national ranking.

While the probability is high that the winner of Friday evening's contest will face Duke in the championship Sunday, Glading and the rest of the Cavaliers refuse to count their chickens, or their Blue Devils, before they hatch.

"I am just thinking about Maryland because they cannot be overlooked -- they really handed it to us the last time," Glading said. "Right now we are focused on them and if we end up playing Duke again, I think everyone will be excited for that as well."

 

UVa meets Maryland, Duke draws UNC in semis
By Whitey Reid
Published: April 25, 2008

It’s been a while since a Virginia men’s lacrosse team headed into the ACC Tournament as an underdog.
That, though, will be exactly the case when play kicks off tonight at Klockner Stadium. Top-seeded Duke plays No. 4 North Carolina at 5 p.m., while No. 2 Maryland faces No. 3 UVa in the nightcap.
During the regular season, UVa (11-2) was hammered by both the Blue Devils and Terrapins.
The role of underdog must feel a little strange to Virginia senior Ben Rubeor. After all, he was a member of UVa’s 2006 NCAA championship team - one of the most dominant squads in the sport’s history.
“It’s the position we’ve earned in the ACC,” said Rubeor, who was named first-team all-conference on Thursday with teammates Brian Carroll and Danny Glading. “It’s indicative of how we played. We were blown out twice by two talented teams.”
Virginia’s one win in the ACC this season didn’t come easy. By all rights, the Cavaliers should have lost in Chapel Hill on April 5. UNC blew a three-goal with four minutes to play.
UVa had a nine-game winning streak to start the season, but that seemed a bit like fool’s gold after a 13-7 loss to Maryland in College Park.
“When you go in the locker room at halftime and everyone’s screaming, ‘Let’s go!’ then by that point you’ve probably already missed the boat there,” said UVa senior Pete Lamade. “You have to hold yourself accountable for how you’re going to play the whole game.”
That was something that seemed ingrained in the players on Virginia’s undefeated title squad two years ago.
“I think we were more talented than most teams we played, but I think what’s overlooked is how hard we worked,” Rubeor said. “The reason we were able to play so consistently well and not ever really have a bad game was because we outworked everyone else. I think that’s a lesson.”
Rubeor admitted that the team embarrassed itself in the loss at Maryland.
“Win or lose, we pride ourselves on playing good lacrosse and coming our prepared in games,” he said. “We didn’t do that. I don’t think there was a point in the game where we weren’t outplayed.
“I think we all know we haven’t played to our potential [this season], but at the same time it’s a gut-check and that brings out people’s personalities when you have to work for everything you get. It’s why you play sports I think.”
One major positive for Virginia heading into this weekend has been the play of Rubeor. The ACC Co-Player of the Week, who scored four goals in last Saturday’s win over Dartmouth, looks to be finding his groove after laboring through a good portion of the season with a balky knee.
Over the last three years, Rubeor’s role on the team has steadily increased. In 2006, he was simply a part of the juggernaut. Now, the senior is being counted on to lead the way.
“I don’t feel too much pressure,” he said. “I’ve learned how to give it everything I’ve got. If at the end of the day, that’s not good enough, then so be it.
“At the same time, I do feel responsibility to help this team as much as I can. Now that I’m feeling better, I think I have that opportunity and I’m going to make every effort I can to help.”
Groundballs
The Cavaliers lead the nation in man-up offense by converting on 56.2 percent of their extra-man opportunities…This is the fifth year in a row UVa and Maryland have met in the ACC Tournament, with the Cavaliers coming out victorious in the last two. They held off a late Maryland rally for an 11-10 win in last year’s semifinal and claimed the league crown with an 11-5 win two years ago.

 

Cavaliers look for revenge vs. Maryland in ACC Tournament
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 04/24/2008
Courtesy: Pete Emerson/UVa Media Relations

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—The old saying, “familiarity breeds contempt,” may not apply to this weekend’s ACC Men’s Lacrosse Tournament, but it is certainly true that all four participating schools know each other as well as they know their own. And with all four schools ranked in the top 12 in the polls, the event is likely to portent next month’s NCAA tournament. As the stakes rise with the onset of postseason play, coaches’ angst rises as well.

UVa is hosting the ACC Tournament at Klöckner Stadium for the first time in five years. Top-seed Duke (13-1) squares off against North Carolina (8-4) in the first semifinal game at 5 p.m. Virginia (11-2) clashes with Maryland (8-4) following the first game. Game time is approximately 7:30 p.m.

“I think the players really enjoy (the tournament),” said UVa head coach Dom Starsia. “I think it’s a great opportunity for fans to see great lacrosse. With the Friday night doubleheader, what more could you ask for if you were a lacrosse fan? This year in particular all four teams are among the top teams in the country.

“There is a lot to like about (the tournament) as long as you are not one of the lacrosse coaches of one of these teams,” he chuckled.

Virginia faces Maryland in the second semifinal contest Friday night at Klöckner Stadium, the first time UVa has hosted the tournament in five years.

“This game is certainly a challenge that we are going to look forward to,” said Starsia. “We are going to have our hands full with the Terps. They handled us the first time and I think we are looking forward to the opportunity to compete again.”

Maryland raced out to an early 3-0 lead in the team’s first meeting of the season and was rarely threatened on the way to a 13-7 win in College Park. The loss was the Cavaliers’ first of the season.

Since that game Virginia has made several changes that are likely to put a new wrinkle on this match-up.

Following the loss, Starsia replaced freshman goalie Adam Ghitelman with fifth-year senior Bud Petit. Petit has responded well by leading the Cavaliers to two wins in three starts, including an impressive performance in the overtime win at North Carolina when he saved 13 shots.

One area Maryland dominated in first meeting was face-offs. The Terps’ Will Dalton and Bryn Holmes combined to win 15 of 23 attempts. Since then freshman Garett Ince has moved ahead of Brian McDermott to take the majority of turns for UVa.

“I think we are a work in progress facing off, but I think we are getting better there,” said Starsia. “The last game with Maryland, in particular, we really got beat up in the middle of the field. That’s an area where I feel like if we can improve any, we are going to improve our situation.”

One of the things Starsia has impressed upon his team throughout the season is the need to play the full 60 minutes.

“I remember saying after the Maryland game the last time that we didn’t seem to be prepared to win that game neither 17-15 nor 7-6 and we’ve played a number of 7-6 games with Maryland over the years,” he said.

“I feel like we are better prepared now to play the game 7-6 if that’s what is going to required to be successful. The key for us is that we carry the play to our opponent for 60 minutes. If we have to score 17 goals or we need to score seven goals, that we are mentally prepared to do both of those things and adjust during the game to whatever the situation requires.”

Midfielders Peter Lamade and Rhamel Bratton led the Cavaliers with two goals apiece the first time against the Terps as UVa out shot Maryland 42-39. The attack of Ben Rubeor, Garrett Billings and Danny Glading combined for two goals (Rubeor, Billings) in the game. All three have notched at least 20 goals this season with Rubeor’s 26 leading the way.

The Cavaliers lead the nation in man-up offense by converting on 56.2 percent of their extra-man opportunities.

This is the fifth year in a row UVa and Maryland have met in the ACC Tournament, with the Cavaliers coming out victorious in the last two. They held off a late Maryland rally for an 11-10 win in last year’s semifinal and claimed the league crown with an 11-5 win two years ago.

Last year’s tourney game followed the recent postseason trend between the two school that has seen three of the last four ACC Tournament meetings being decided by one goal.

Capacity for Klöckner Stadium is capped at 8,000 and fans planning to attend the ACC Tournament are encouraged to purchase tickets prior to game time. Tickets can be purchased via the UVa athletics department ticket office either online at VirginiaSports.com or by telephone or in person at Bryant Hall. The ticket office can be reached by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

Advance sales at Bryant Hall for Friday’s semifinal games ends at 2 p.m. Game day sales will begin at 4 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium.


 

Cavs get Devils in semis
By Bart Isley
Published: April 25, 2008

Virginia had to wait until Thursday’s quarterfinals to find out, but the Cavs will take on Duke in the ACC semifinals today at 3 p.m at Scott Stadium. Not that it will matter much. In addition to a regular season battle each year, Virginia and Duke have locked up in the postseason the last five seasons, so familiarity won’t be a problem.
“We were saying as a team that we know them so well,” said Virginia coach Julie Myers. “But they’re so dangerous in so many spots that its still going to be a tough game for us.”
Despite the lopsided 19-6 final margin, Virginia Tech (4-14, 0-5) put a scare into Duke early on in Thursday’s quarterfinal when the Hokies reeled off four straight goals to take a 4-2 advantage early in the first half. Duke answered with a six-goal run of its own to open up an 8-4 lead at the half, including a nifty quickstick goal by freshman Emma Hamm from classmate Christie Kaestner with 50 seconds left in the first. Eventually, Duke’s run came to 14 straight goals.
“I felt like we were a little tight and we didn’t have a lot of great practice time before this game,” said Duke coach Kerstin Kimmel. “I was just really pleased that our kids were able to get themselves in a flow.”
Duke won the ACC regular season title for four straight years from 2004-2007, but dropped a pair of conference contests against Virginia and North Carolina in 2008 to finish third in the conference. On March 29, Virginia knocked off Duke 13-9, the Blue Devils’ first loss at home in 20 games.
Virginia’s dominance on the draw in the first half (eight draw controls to Duke’s three) helped spur the Cavaliers to an 8-2 halftime lead. The Cavs did all that without the explosive Blair Weymouth, who has been hampered by an ankle injury at times this season and missed the Duke contest. Weymouth poured in 11 goals in the last four games.
Unlike Duke, the Cavs are also coming into the tournament with some momentum after knocking off Johns Hopkins and George Mason in the last two regular-season contests.
In the other semifinal at 5:30 p.m. today, North Carolina and Maryland will lock up for the right to go to the tournament final Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Tar Heels avenged an early season loss to Boston College Thursday in the quarterfinals with a
12-8 victory. Erica LaGrow and Cory Donohoe led the way with a hat trick each. North Carolina built an 8-3 halftime lead and held on after the break.

 

First overall pick no longer in play for high-motor Long
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: April 25, 2008

On Thursday afternoon, Chris Long was touring Manhattan on a bus with several of the projected top choices in this weekend’s NFL Draft. Come Saturday, the pride of Charlottesville could buy the entire fleet of buses.
The Virginia All-American defensive end could go as high as the No. 2 overall choice in the draft, which will automatically make him a millionaire many times over — but don’t expect that to change Chris Long.
While other prospects might be sweating when their name will be called, Long just wants a chance to play for somebody ... anybody.
“When it’s your kid, you tend to worry about things like that,” said Chris’s father, Howie Long, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “But Chris said to me, ‘Look dad, I’m going to get a chance to do what I’ve always wanted to do and I’ll get paid more than you ever imagined that I would, so relax.’
“I thought to myself, ‘Shouldn’t I be having this conversation with him?’” Howie Long said. “He’s one of the most unflappable people I’ve ever been around. He’s so mentally tough. I think he got that from his mama.”
Diane Long, Chris’s mom, is in New York with him until draft day, when Howie will fly up and be joined by Virginia head coach Al Groh and St. Anne’s-Belfield head coach John Blake, among others. Younger brothers Kyle and little Howie will not make the trip, choosing to stay at home for the St. Anne’s junior-senior prom.
Chris will have plenty to tell them about upon his return home.
On Thursday, the NFL took the five or six top players invited up for the draft, to an ESPN production meeting, then to Radio City Music Hall, site of this weekend’s draft. That’s just part of the whirlwind of activities Chris Long has been involved in during recent weeks.
He has been to Oakland to meet with Raiders owner Al Davis, and to St. Louis, where he spent a lot of time watching film with the Rams’ coaching staff. St. Louis, which owns the No. 2 pick, is in the market for a pass rusher and Long could fit their bill even though the Rams play a 4-3 defense as opposed to the 3-4 in which Long has excelled.
“I got up with all their [Rams] coaches,” Long said. “I felt very positive about everything they put up on the board when we watched film. Anything they ask me to do there, I feel I’m capable of doing. The schemes and positions they have me at seem doable.”
St. Louis essentially told Long that if he is their pick, they project him as a defensive end that could be moved inside in some situations, and that they could move him around. That would not be a difficult transition for him because Groh often moved Long to various locations on Virginia’s defensive line to take advantage of personnel mismatches.
“A lot of [St. Louis’s] terminology and line play I recognized from what coach [Mike] London [UVa’s former defensive coordinator] taught me,” Long said. “It seemed like it would be an easy transition.”
For weeks it appeared that Long might be the No. 1 pick of the draft until the Miami Dolphins signed Michigan offensive lineman Jake Long. Since then, Dolphins general manager Bill Parcells revealed that had the negotiations with the Michigan lineman fallen apart, then Miami was ready to make Chris Long the top choice.
“I kind of saw that coming,” Chris Long said. “I’m not really into the No. 1 thing. If that’s what happened, cool ... but I’m more focused about what happens after the draft.”
There remains the possibility - should St. Louis take another player - that Chris Long could end up being taken by the Oakland Raiders, the same organization that father Howie rose to stardom with. The younger Long said that during his trip to Oakland he met with longtime owner Davis in his office.
“It was an honor to meet [Davis],” Chris said. “I remember as a kid, seeing him. It was cool to talk to him in his office.”
There is some belief that going to Oakland might become a strain, having to follow in his father’s footsteps, but Chris said that doesn’t bother him.
“It’s a real possibility,” he said. “But at the same time, no matter what pressure that brings it’s just another place I would have to prove myself.”
He continues to say that all he wants is a chance and he doesn’t care what team takes him, that at the end of the day, someone will be paying him a whole lot of money to play football. Should he drop - a la former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn - down to the 10th slot, Chris said he doesn’t care because the better teams are picking at that point.
What was that Howie said about Chris being unflappable?
Whatever happens, it is most unusual for an NFL star’s son to follow those footsteps to the league, particularly as a potential top five draft choice.
“The odds of it happening are so slim, particularly at the level he’s played,” Howie said. “This has been a real treat for both Diane and me.”
Blake, who coached Chris at St. Anne’s, is elated at his former player’s success.
“I’m so proud that I don’t know what to say,” Blake noted. “The one thing I will always say about Chris is that I’m not just proud of him being a football player, but the kind of kid he is. The way he keeps his head on his shoulders impresses me every day.
“We’re all excited and happy for him and his family and proud that he went to school here,” Blake said.
Speaking of St. Anne’s, the Longs will probably be flying home Saturday night because Diane doesn’t want to miss another big event. The last dance at the prom is supposed to be with the mother, and that will make her day complete.

Albert’s watching his value skyrocket
By Andy Bitter
Published: April 23, 2008

When Branden Albert declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft shortly after the Gator Bowl, he was outwardly confident that he would be a first-day pick. Inwardly, he thought he had first-round potential.

But months later, the former Virginia guard has made a meteoric rise up most draft boards. Some prognosticators, including ESPN guru Mel Kiper Jr., have Albert going as high as fifth overall, something the 23-year-old certainly didn’t envision when he chose to bypass his senior season and something he doesn’t even completely comprehend now.

“Coming out as a junior, when you make that decision, you don’t know if anyone will really pay attention to you,” Albert said. “I knew I had the talent to play football, but you just don’t know.”

Albert didn’t know it at the time, but the best thing to happen to his draft stock was left tackle Eugene Monroe’s knee injury last fall.

Monroe missed UVa’s games against Pittsburgh and Middle Tennessee, prompting the Cavaliers to shift Albert from left guard to left tackle.

It was the perfect showcase. Albert more than held his own in Monroe’s absence and NFL teams, always seeking a long-term solution at the coveted left tackle position, took note.

“Just from the two games, you can’t really evaluate a person on it,” Albert said. “But you can see the potential.”

His versatility is an added bonus. Albert, who is agile for his 6-foot-7, 316-pound frame, is confident he can play guard or tackle on both sides, covering four of the offensive line’s five positions.

“Teams that are interested don’t have to say he’s a guard or he’s a tackle,” Virginia coach Al Groh said.

“If they need a lineman, he’s whatever lineman they need him to be.”

Albert’s increasing stock mirrors his transition from high school to college. He was a lightly-recruited football player more known for his basketball skills in Glen Burnie, Md., where he lived with his older brother Ashley Sims, a former Maryland linebacker who turned him on to the game.

Albert transformed himself into a prime recruit at Hargrave Military Academy and played for Virginia immediately, starting all 35 games of his college career and earning the most votes of any guard in all-ACC balloting last year.

His rise on draft boards seems to have caught most NFL people off guard as well. Invites to New York for the draft went out long before Albert was projected as going in the top half of the first round.

Instead, he’ll watch the process unfold at his brother’s place in Edgewood, Md., outside of Baltimore, which is fine by him.

“Why would it bother me?” he said of the non-invite. “When I came out of school, people projected me as a second-round pick.

“If I go top five I’ll be happy. If I go top 10 I’ll be happy. If I go top 20 I’ll be happy.”


 

Late-blooming Albert makes quick rise up draft boards
By Jay Jenkins
Published: April 25, 2008

Jameel Sewell created a special nickname for his starting offensive linemen.
The guys protecting Virginia’s quarterback were affectionately called “Hogs.”
One, for obvious reasons, stood out even further. And for that, Branden Albert drew an special designation with the comical slug from Sewell.
“He considered me the head hog so he called me ‘Boss Hog,’” Albert joked Thursday.
It was Albert’s escape from a different nickname that sums up the ever-improving storybook progression that will include a new chapter when his name is called Saturday in the first round of the NFL draft.
As teenager in Rochester, N.Y., Albert was called “Cheeseburger” - which was later shortened to “Burger” - by a friend during a pick-up basketball game.
Uncertain of her son’s commitment to academics and aware of the pitfalls facing him in a single-parent house, Albert’s mother sent “Burger” to Edgewood, Md., to live with his older brother, Ashley Sims.
“If I would have stayed in Rochester, I believe I probably wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in now,” Albert said. “There are a lot of elements that surrounded my situation in Rochester that probably would have stopped me from being as successful as I’ve become.
“Rochester is not a bad place, but it has a lot of rough areas. With my mother being a single parent, she was trying to take care of a growing young man. She just felt me going with my brother was the best decision, which it was.”
A former defensive end at Maryland, Sims all but forced Albert to suit up for Glen Burnie’s football team.
“His brother said, ‘If you’re going to live here, you’re going to play football,’” said Virginia coach Al Groh.
With a stroke of luck, former UVa assistant Kevin Ross stumbled onto Albert while recruiting teammate Ron Darden. After Ross left to become the offensive coordinator at Army, another former assistant, Ron Prince, continued the successful recruiting efforts on both players.
“It was toward the end of the recruiting process that we came across some long-range, grainy tape,” Groh said. “He was really raw, but we brought him for a visit and, in talking to him, he sold us.”
After a one-year stint at Hargrave Military Academy to solidify his academics, Albert finally arrived in Charlottesville in 2005.
“I just remember the first day of camp when I saw him and I just said, ‘Wow.’ I knew he was going to be awesome,” said former UVa offensive lineman Gordie Sammis. “For him to live up to that was unbelievable.”
From a spot on at least one All-ACC rookie team to All-American status in his junior year, Albert remained steady and reliable throughout, starting every game in his career.
“Branden is a wonderful success story. He was not highly recruited coming out of high school, but was big, athletic and could run,” Groh said. “We took a chance on Branden and it proved a wise decision. He has been resolute in pursuing his goals, diligent in his approach and turned himself into a player with a very bright NFL future.”
After his final game, a loss in the Gator Bowl, Albert fought back tears. He knew at that point that he would be declaring for the draft the following day, forgoing his final year of eligibility. The 23-year-old did not, however, know what that meant.
“I knew I had the potential to be a first-round pick, but coming out as a junior, you never know if people are really paying attention to you,” Albert said. “I thought I might go in the second-round or late first-round, but to be where I am right now, I didn’t think so.”
Yes, Albert has seen his stock skyrocket. The possibility even remains that he could be taken Saturday before former teammate Chris Long.
Credit Albert’s success at the NFL Combine - he had a 26-inch vertical jump and a 4.78-second short shuttle - and an untimely knee injury last season for UVa left tackle Eugene Monroe.
In Monroe’s two-game absence, wins over Pittsburgh and Middle Tennessee State, Albert moved from left guard to left tackle.
“Just from the two games, you can’t really evaluate a person on it,” said Albert, who was a whisker under 6-foot-6 at the combine and currently weighs 316 pounds. “But you can see the potential.”
And teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, who select fifth, know of his versatility.
“Teams that are interested don’t have to say he’s a guard or he’s a tackle,” Groh said. “If they need a lineman, he’s whatever lineman they need him to be.”
Albert’s stock climbed so fast he was not invited to the draft in New York City, but he does not feel slighted.
“Why would it bother me?” he said. “When I came out of school, people projected me as a second-round pick.
“If I go top five, I’ll be happy. If I go top 10, I’ll be happy. If I go top 20, I’ll be happy.”
Instead, Albert will watch the draft from the couch in his brother’s house, the spot where his career - and life - took off.
“He is a big part in where I am at,” Albert said, “so it is very fitting.”

 

Centreville lineman Bowanko commits to Cavs
By Jay Jenkins
Published: April 24, 2008

It took all of four days for Luke Bowanko to determine his own fate.
After being offered a scholarship on Monday, the offensive tackle from Centreville High in Clifton jumped at the chance to play football at Virginia.
“I had been down to Virginia too many times to count before so I really had an idea,” Bowanko said. “It is a five-year commitment and it is a big commitment to make and I made it in four days, but me and my parents really had a good idea of what we were doing.”
The sixth commitment for the Class of 2009, all of which are from inside the state, Bowanko said he stands at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds. He is being projected as an offensive tackle at UVa.
Bowanko, 16, credited a fearless mentality for his success at Centreville.
“I like to be physical,” he said. “All my life, all that’s really got me anything, whether it was AAU basketball with better athletes or playing football with better athletes, I was the youngest kid on the team, but what has set me apart is my mental toughness and my ability to work through adversity.
“My mental makeup is my best attribute in my mind, and I am blessed with parents that don’t spoil me and I know what I have and how easily it can be taken away.”
Bowanko’s work ethic was proven Thursday, just hours after he verbally committed to lead recruiter Anthony Poindexter and later to Virginia coach Al Groh.
“I work harder and harder every day,” he said. “Even after accepting the offer, I probably had the hardest workout of my life.”
Centreville went 6-5 last season, losing in the opening round of the playoffs to West Springfield.

 

Top-ranked Hurricanes prepare for No. 16 Virginia
After a stunning upset loss to Florida International, top-ranked Miami will try to rebound when it meets Atlantic Coast Conference rival Virginia on Friday.
Posted on Fri, Apr. 25, 2008Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email
BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

On Sunday, the Miami Hurricanes capped an emotional, three-game baseball series at Florida State with their second of three weekend victories.

On Monday, they learned they were the nation's consensus No. 1 team.

On Wednesday, they lost their fifth game of the season, to neighboring Florida International, a team that has more than twice as many losses as victories.

The past several days have been a whirlwind for the Hurricanes. But beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, the Hurricanes (33-5, 17-2) hope to settle down against another talented Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

The No. 16 Virginia Cavaliers (32-12, 13-8) come to Mark Light Field for a three-game set that continues at 7 p.m. Saturday and concludes with a Sunday finale at noon.

Virginia is third in the Coastal Division of the ACC, two spots behind Miami and one behind second-ranked North Carolina (36-7, 16-4).

''I'm sure they were a little discouraged with losing against FIU, just like I was,'' UM coach Jim Morris said of his team. ``We didn't play badly, FIU just played better. We're looking forward to getting back into conference play. I don't think one game is going to destroy their confidence.''

Morris said the most telling aspect of his team's season has been the success of batters ``one through nine in the lineup.

''We've had some big game-winning hits. Players are coming through and our defense is as good as it has ever been since I've been at Miami,'' he said. ``Our pitching has been good.

``We just have to make sure our bullpen continues to do what it did the first three quarters of the season.''

Freshman left-hander Chris Hernandez (6-0, 3.16 ERA) will start Friday for the Hurricanes. The Cavaliers will go with senior left-hander Pat McAnaney (4-1, 2.17).

Morris has moved Eric Erickson (6-0, 3.28), also a left-hander, to Saturday's starting spot. Enrique Garcia (2-1, 6.18) will start Sunday.

Erickson missed nearly a month because of a sore forearm, and returned to the lineup to pitch the first four innings of Sunday's game.

''It felt like it was my first time pitching,'' said Erickson, who earned the victory but gave up three solo home runs, something he said he had never done.

''No way. Never,'' he said. ``I lost touch on my changeup and I was really only throwing a fastball and curveball. My fastball is fine. It will take me a little while to get the hang of it again.

``I'm just glad we ended up winning on Sunday. That was a big deal going over there and doing what we did.''

Hurricanes shortstop Ryan Jackson, who is batting .377, third-best on the team, said he has put the loss to FIU behind him.

''We expect to win every game,'' Jackson said. ``Last weekend's series was big for us. There was a lot of emotion and a lot of energy was released by both teams. But that's baseball. You have to regroup and get ready for the next game.''

 

UVa hosting both lacrosse tourneys

Virginia men's lacrosse coach Dom Starsia hopes to be playing two games in three days this weekend.

And again next month.

Third-ranked UVa is the host of the ACC tournament, which begins with today's semifinals at Klockner Stadium. The final is Sunday.

"From a coach's standpoint, I've always felt like this is a really hard weekend, to play two games like this in 48 hours," Starsia said.

But he added that the tournament will be good preparation if UVa winds up in the NCAA final four, which will be held May 24-26 at Cornell.

That "makes this an invaluable exercise, having your players begin to become aware of what's required physically and mentally and emotionally to play two games like this," Starsia said.

UVa (11-2, 1-1) is seeded third in the four-team ACC tournament. Virginia will face second-seeded and fifth-ranked Maryland (8-4, 2-1) at 7:30 tonight. Top-seeded and top-ranked Duke (13-1, 2-0) meets 10th-ranked North Carolina (8-4, 0-3) in the 5 p.m. semifinal.

"People that find their way to Klockner are going to experience two really high-level ... [semifinal] games because there's a level of familiarity amongst all of us that breeds a little contempt," Starsia said.

UVa is also hosting the ACC women's lacrosse tournament, which began Thursday with two first-round games.

Because the men had first dibs on Klockner -- the home field of both UVa lacrosse teams -- the women's tournament is being held at Scott Stadium.

The UVa women (12-3, 4-1), ranked fourth nationally but seeded second behind Maryland, will play Duke in the semifinals today.

CSN will air both finals Sunday.

Big baseball tests for VMI, Virginia

This will be the biggest weekend of the regular season for the VMI baseball team, which hosts No. 18 Coastal Carolina.

Coastal (34-8) -- coached by Franklin County High School graduate Gary Gilmore -- is in first place in the Big South at 10-2. The Keydets (21-20) are in second at 10-5. Their three-game series begins tonight.

"Our starting pitching's been outstanding on the weekends," VMI coach Marlin Ikenberry said. "Our position players are fairly young, but our pitching staff's pretty solid."

The Keydets' leading hitter is Rockbridge County graduate Brian Sandridge, a third-year sophomore outfielder batting .351. He hit .293 last year.

"Last year, his flaw was that he really struggled with off-speed [pitches]. This year he's been able to stay back and drive off-speed pitches," Ikenberry said. "He spends a lot of time hitting in the cages."

n The No. 16 Virginia baseball team is also in for a stern test. The Cavaliers visit No. 1 Miami for a three-game series beginning tonight.

Miami (33-5, 17-2) leads the ACC's Coastal Division, where UVa (32-12, 13-8) is in third.

UVa coach Brian O'Connor is hoping for improvement from Jacob Thompson, who is 4-2 with a 4.21 ERA. He was an All-American last year, when he was 11-0 with a 1.50 ERA.
 

Recruiting legacies not an easy task for Virginia
More on the lists for 2008, 2009
By Doug Doughty

None of them seem to end up in Charlottesville.

This past season, it was Concord, N.C., offensive lineman R.J. Mattes, whose father, Ron was one of the stars of UVa’s 1984 Peach Bowl victory.

Virginia couldn’t make the final two for R.J. Mattes, who picked North Carolina State over Clemson.

In the same 2008 recruiting class, Virginia took an early commitment from Ugo Uzodinma, a defensive lineman from Takoma Park, Md., whose sister was a nursing student at UVa.

As soon as UVa defensive coordinator Mike London took the head-coaching job at Richmond, Uzodinma bolted for Illinois.

(And dare we forget Chris Long’s little brother, Kyle, who has signed to play baseball for Florida State).

Now there’s Zach Thompson, a junior at Stone Bridge High School in Loudon County.

Thompson, son of Stone Bridge head coach and former Virginia defensive lineman Mickey Thompson, revealed Wednesday night that he had picked Wake Forest over Virginia.

It makes you wonder about some of the other legacies on Virginia’s recruiting lists – Tucker Windle and Jake Snyder for the class of 2008, and Ed Reynolds in the class of 2009.

Reynolds, a running back and defensive back at Woodberry Forest, is the son of ex-Cavalier and NFL defensive lineman Ed Reynolds from Henry County.

Tucker Windle, a linebacker for Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic, is the son of 1977 UVa letterman Steele B. “Al” Windle III. Snyder, a tight end and defensive end for talent-laden Deep Run of Richmond, is the younger brother of walk-on UVa wide receiver Matt Snyder.

Windle’s father has a graduate degree from Wake Forest, as does his wife, and it looks as if his recruiting also could come down to a battle between the Cavaliers and Deacons.

Mickey Thompson was happy for his son, whose twin brother plays quarterback at Stone Bridge and remains uncommitted, but disappointed for his alma mater.

“I feel bad about it [from that standpoint] because I’m one of the few people in the northern Virginia area still beating the drum for UVa in regards to recruiting,” Mickey Thompson said.

“Of course, it looks like I can’t get my own son there, but you guide your son so he doesn’t make a mistake. He couldn’t make a mistake between Virginia and Wake Forest.”

There have been instances in Thompson’s 20 seasons as a head coach at Park View (Sterling) and Stone Bridge when he wishes Virginia would have showed more interest in his programs but this was not a case of UVa not showing enough love to his son, as some have suggested.

“That’s ridiculous,” Thompson said. “They showed him a ton of love. I think that was the hardest thing for him because he was just stuck in the middle between Virginia and Wake Forest.

“He really feels bad about the Virginia situation, one, because of me going there, and two because of how well they recruited him.”

Thompson was being recruited by Wayne Lineburg, who has been the lead recruiter for three in-state juniors who already have committed to Virginia – Alex Owah, Quintin Hunter and Corey Lillard.

“He’s [Lineburg] a tremendous person and he did a great job,” Thompson said.

Four juniors off Stone Bridge’s Group AAA Division 5 championship team already have signed with Virginia’s rival ACC programs at Wake Forest (two), Virginia Tech and North Carolina State.

How are those connections going to hurt Virginia down the line? Does Virginia have a problem at Stone Bridge?

“Not at all,” coach Thompson said. “The No. 1 place that I tell them is Virginia. That’s where I went. That’s the one, when push comes to shove, that I would prefer as a dad.

“But when your son’s deciding between Wake Forest and Virginia, two good schools, and he’s trying to make that decision, time wasn’t going to change a whole lot. It is what is.

“He kept saying over and over that he wanted to go to Wake and, at some point, you have to back off as a dad and say, ‘OK, if you’re sure that’s what you want..’ ”

It didn’t hurt when Stone Bridge linebacker Mike Olson committed to Wake on April 10. The Deacons also have former Stone Bridge running back Ylou Brown on scholarship

“It’s like I told him, ‘Coaches come and go and players come and go and you try not to use that as a major part of your decision,” Thompson’s dad said. “He just said he liked the small school and he liked all of the coaches. A lot of little things just multiplied for him.”

“He went to [Wake] practice last week. He’d been to Virginia four times, I think, total. I can’t put my finger on it and say, ‘Should of done this, should of done that.’ You talk to people, watch practice, talk to some players.

“I took him down to UVa multiple times. I wanted him to have that feel for UVa and he didn’t, or at least not as strong for UVa as he did for Wake.”

Zach Thompson also won’t be going to his mother’s alma mater, Virginia Tech, “but he never got offered there,” Mickey said. “Even my wife said, ‘Selfishly, it would be a lot easier if we had him at UVa because it would only be a couple of hours.’"

Actually, there will be a little slice of UVa for Thompson in his new home, where 1975 Virginia graduate Jim Grobe is the Deacons’ head coach, but that’s no consolation for the Cavaliers.