Simmons’ intensity keys Cavaliers’ special teams
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 5, 2008

For Hall Simmons, a relative unknown to those outside of the Virginia football program, actions speak louder than words.

It is his actions with the Cavaliers, however, that have placed the junior in high regard amongst his teammates.

From the opening play of every practice to the final drill he takes part in, Simmons simply leaves it all on the field.

For that, the special-teams demon has gained enormous respect.

“Hall Simmons only knows one way to play,” said Rodney McLeod, a freshman safety. “Hall practices the way that he plays. He is an intense guy, a hard worker. He has a lot of love for the game.”

Against Miami, Simmons made his mark — the 5-foot-9, 200-pound junior downed two punts inside the Hurricanes’ 20-yard line.

“Any time we can change the game with special teams, we think it is a really big impact play,” Simmons said. “We take a lot of pride in it and work as hard as we can during the week. We actually do a down drill and we take it seriously in practice and in the games it has really paid off.

“Any time we can get it down inside the 10 it is a good thing for us.”

More importantly, Simmons recovered a muffed punt in the first quarter that led to Virginia’s lone field goal.

“Any time we can get our hands on a loose ball it is a pretty cool thing,” he said. “I think everyone wanted to jump on it, but fortunately I was more in the right spot at the right time.

“It was a pretty good feeling to see a ball on the ground and get it back and help the team and keep Miami from getting off to a quick start.”

Thanks to Simmons and others on the punt coverage unit, Virginia rookie Jimmy Howell has had 16 punts downed inside the opposing team’s 20-yard line.

It was the type of impact that Simmons hoped to make after living in the shadow of Josh Zidenberg, a former special teams standout that graduated last May.

“Josh was a great player for us, and I kind of did what Josh did for the first three years,” said Simmons, who has 11 tackles in eight games. “We both walked on and he set a tough example to follow, but our team firmly believes in special teams. It is a big area that can impact the game.

“I realized that could be my role to help the team. Here we are and I am getting a chance.”

Simmons, who was placed on scholarship by coach Al Groh before the season, is accountable for his performance — for better or worse.

“He’s fantastic during practice, during games,” Howell said of Simmons. “He is always the first one that comes up to me if he doesn’t get to a punt to say, ‘I’m sorry, man. My bad.’

“He has been doing a fantastic job all year and he is one of the hardest-working guys on the team. I applaud him for going out there on special teams and doing that.”

It should not come as a surprise based on Simmons’ future goal.

“His ambition is to be a Navy SEAL,” said Groh, who perked up when asked about the Tennessee native. “That gives you a little insight into him, and when he achieves that rank, in our knowing him, it will help us rest comfortably knowing that our security is in the hands of people like him.

“We say, ‘We root for players.’ Because it is something he really wants to do, we root for him that that works out.”

Groh is clearly a fan of Simmons as a performer and a person.

“He’s a great kid. The players love him,” Groh said. “He is so intense with everything. He is intense conversationally, although he’s got a good smile.

“He’s intense in the offseason program, he’s intense in training. Every play in practice, full speed ahead. The players really respect what he has put into it.”

 

Wake breaking the Grobe templateWednesday, November 5 (updated 5:36 am)
By Rob Daniels
Staff Writer

WINSTON-SALEM -- It's as if the architect's renderings have been smudged by a miscreant preschooler. Now the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will see if they can construct something sturdy anyway.

Seven true and redshirt freshmen played 75 percent or more of the snaps for the Deacs (5-3, 3-2 ACC) during Saturday's win over Duke, and that's not part of the traditional Jim Grobe template. Some veteran players are expected to return to the lineup when Virginia comes to town Saturday (3:30, ESPNU), but it's pretty clear that Wake will have to rely on depth if it intends to run the table and work its way into the ACC football championship game.

"You take for granted guys like Steve Justice, Louis Frazier and Matt Brim," Grobe said, recalling three recent graduates, "who never came off the field and never got hurt."

It starts, of course, with the offensive line. Center Trey Bailey suffered a broken ankle at Maryland on Oct. 18. Moments later, tight end Ben Wooster strained a hamstring. Right tackle Jeff Griffin missed most of the Duke game with a sprained knee. Rookies Joe Looney, Andrew Parker and Drew Weaver replaced them, and a unit that began the season as a source of concern had more uncertainty.

Griffin should be ready to go against Virginia.

An offense built around a two-tailback rotation had to be amended when Josh Adams turned an ankle early in the Miami game Oct. 25 and didn't play at all against the Blue Devils. Redshirt freshman Brandon Pendergrass had the most active day of his young career, with 21 carries, but said he didn't feel worn out.

"After the game I was sore, but running the ball is something I've been doing my whole life," he said. "I don't have a need for a (specific) number of carries. It depends on the game."

Pendergrass didn't have huge numbers, but Wake's coaches believed he looked more confident against Duke than against several other teams.

"I felt comfortable having him in the game," Grobe said. "It made me feel more like he belonged out there. I thought he had been stressing in trying to make all the right reads and all the right cuts."

Clearly, however, everybody prefers a tailback rotation anchored by a healthy Adams, who expects to play this week. And that includes Pendergrass.

"I came out several times and I could see in his eyes that he wanted to be out there," the speedy Floridian said of Adams. "And I wanted him to be out there. We're kind of dependent on each other."

Relief is not imminent in the kicking game, which has been derailed for the past four games by senior Sam Swank's quadriceps injury.

"I don't think he felt much better (Monday) than he felt two weeks ago," Grobe said.

That's one reason the coaching staff isn't pestering trainer Don Steelman for hourly progress reports. Another was the performance of redshirt freshman Shane Popham, who was 3-for-8 on field-goal attempts in his first three games but 3-for-3 against the Blue Devils.

Popham isn't expected to have Swank's range of 50 yards and out, but the Deacs will concede the distance if the accuracy continues as it did last week.

"I wouldn't want to be a kicker, period," defensive tackle Boo Robinson said. "And he had to replace an All-American? That's a tough job."

Defensively, end Kyle Wilber and safety Josh Bush played considerable snaps and generally graded out well against the Devils. Bush filled in for Brandon Ghee, who may return against the Cavaliers.

Realistically, Wake has to win its three remaining ACC games to have a chance at its second Atlantic Division title in three years. (The Deacs also need Virginia Tech and Florida State to take out Maryland.) One more victory delivers bowl eligibility, and two will probably lock up a postseason berth.

"Every week brings about new challenges," Robinson said. "This week, we have a Virginia team that just lost a tough game to Miami. When we played Duke, we faced a team that was very confident, having just beaten Vanderbilt.

"I just feel we've got to take care of ourselves. The ACC will take care of itself."

 

Cavaliers had a good shot at surging Red Raiders
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: November 5, 2008

Scattershooting around the ACC, while noting that until last Saturday night, one of the teams that came the closest to stopping the nation’s current longest winning streak was Virginia ...

While the Cavaliers’ collective minds have been focused entirely on their ACC Coastal Division race, they’ve kept an eye on Texas Tech, which owns the nation’s longest unbeaten streak at 11. The Red Raiders scored on the final play of the game to beat No. 1 Texas, 39-33, last weekend.

During that 11-game streak, Texas Tech has had only a couple of brushes with defeat — a 37-31 overtime win over Nebraska last month, and its 31-28 comeback win over Virginia last December in the Gator Bowl.

Several UVa players, including linebackers Clint Sintim and Jon Copper, said they have kept tabs on the Raiders ever since that game.

“[Michael] Crabtree is easily one of the best wide receivers in the nation,” said Sintim of the Texas Tech All-American who caught the winning TD pass against the Longhorns, and who struggled to do much against Virginia.

Groh and his staff were so impressed with what the Red Raiders were doing that they had several dialogues with the Texas Tech coaches back in the spring.

“From a professional standpoint, having played them last year and understanding the scheme and being intrigued by it, we followed [Tech] pretty closely,” said Groh. “We’re highly impressed with what they’re doing. They’re doing an awesome job.”

The Red Raiders are 9-0 this season and ranked No. 2 nationally, and are still putting up amazing numbers.

“I still believe if [quarterback] Jameel [Sewell] had not become injured, that we would have had a real good chance to win the game,” Groh said of the Gator Bowl contest. “We feel somewhat confirmed now with the points they’re putting up, what [Tech coach] Mike Leach was gracious enough to say after the game, which was that [Virginia] was the best plan that had been put forth against them.”

Groh said that the Cavaliers are rooting for Texas Tech to do well because of all the cooperation between staffs this spring.

“We appreciated their openness and hospitality,” Groh said of the exchange of thoughts.

In fact, when other schools called Virginia this spring to find out the Cavaliers’ secret in shutting down the Red Raiders’ high-powered offense for most of that game, the Wahoos were less forthcoming than normal.

“Not to be secretive about what we did, but we had good dialogue with their coaches there,” Groh said. “They wanted to know what we were thinking when we played them and we were asking some things about what they were doing. So, we didn’t go out and conduct clinics on what we did.”

Happy birthday Bobby

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will turn 79 this Saturday when his Seminoles take on Clemson. The coach is 4-1 in games played on his birthday.

However, the Clemson game will have a new twist for the veteran coach. It will be the first time in several years that he won’t be coaching against his son, Tommy, who was fired by the Tigers a few weeks ago.

“It takes out the fact that somebody in your family has to win or lose,” said Bobby Bowden, who had lost three straight to Clemson. “I think [wife] Ann will be a lot more loose. I will miss seeing Tommy out on the field before the game.”

However, the elder Bowden said he doesn’t have any payback for Clemson for firing his son.

“No, I don’t do that. I would be just as fired up for them as anybody else,” he said. “We all know when we get into this game the consequences of winning and losing. We’re ready for that mentally.”

Stat of the week

Virginia’s junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree needs six receptions against Wake Forest this Saturday to become only the second player in Wahoo history to record two seasons with 50 receptions.

Billy McMullen did it in 2001 and ’02.

Ogletree would become only the 26th player in ACC history to reach that feat.

The Devil you say

Bowl talk in Durham?

As odd as it seems, it’s true. Duke needs two wins to become bowl eligible, but Coach David Cutcliffe is trying to not let such talk distract the Blue Devils from the task at hand.

The last time Duke played in a bowl game was 1994, but getting there might be easier said than done. The Devils still have to play N.C. State, Clemson, Virginia Tech and North Carolina.

Hold that Tiger

Future Clemson opponents better make sure they keep an eye on C.J. Spiller at all times.

The junior tailback was the difference in the Tigers’ win at Boston College last weekend as he amassed 242 all-purpose yards, including the most pivotal play of the afternoon, a 64-yard kickoff return that set up the winning score.

“There ain’t another guy like that in the whole country,” said Clemson quarterbacks coach Billy Napier. “He’s special. He blows my mind watchig that tape. He makes everybody look like they’re in slow motion.”

Clemson running backs coach Andre Powell, who used to hold that same position on Virginia’s staff under George Welsh, said this of Spiller:

“I’ve never been around a guy that can accelerate and change direction as quick as he can.”

Quote of the week

Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis said he has discovered the secret to avoid fumbling when getting blindsided by pass rushers:

“Yeah ... keep two hands on the ball.”

High ankle Hokies

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer is keeping everyone in suspense for tonight’s big home clash against visiting Maryland.

Beamer said it would be a game-time decision on who would start at quarterback for the Hokies, attempting to bounce back from a two-game losing streak. However, most insiders believe that third-team quarterback Cory Holt, who was moved over from wide receiver after starter Tyrod Taylor and backup Sean Glennon both suffered high ankle sprains, will start the game.

“Both [Taylor and Glennon] have worked some in practice and are listed as questionable right now,” Beamer said during Wednesday’s ACC coaches teleconference. “We’ll know [tonight].”

Beamer said that Holt has done well in practice and has thrown the ball well.

“We’ll figure it out in warmups,” the Tech coach said.

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said he’s not going to be surprised at whomever lines up at quarterback for the Hokies.

“We’re expecting whoever to play well,” Friedgen said. “Holt did a remarkable job [against Florida State in Tech’s last game]. He looks like a good one to me. The only way for us to go into it is that all three could play. They’ve had extra time to heal with the open week.”

Rocky Top calling?

Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, who will be going up against his alma mater when Virginia travels to Winston-Salem this weekend, has been mentioned with almost every decent head coaching job vacancy in the past three years.

This week is no different.

Grobe’s name has been floating around Knoxville after Tennessee announced that veteran coach Phil Fulmer will not return next season.

Having his name consistently come up is flattering, but Grobe isn’t sure it’s a good thing.

“It can be very distracting but we’ve been dealing with it for a while now,” he said. “It’s always nice if people think you’re doing a good job at your present school. I doubt that our kids are distracted by any of that stuff.”

Grobe said a few years ago he had to talk to his team about the rumors, but since then hasn’t found it necessary.

Shannon praises Groh

Miami coach Randy Shannon said that upsetting Virginia in Scott Stadium last weekend was a huge deal for his Hurricanes.

“I think Virginia’s a real good football team,” Shannon said. “Al Groh’s done a tremendous job with them, bouncing back from two losses. They’ve playled some great competition, beating Georgia Tech and North Carolina. He’s doing a great job and I think [UVa’s] football team is going to be tough to beat when it’s all said and done.”

By the way, of the only three ACC teams that are ranked in this week’s BCS poll, Virginia has beaten all three of them: No. 19 North Carolina; No. 20 Georgia Tech; and No. 23 Maryland.

Quote of the Week II

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen on the ACC’s parity (the ACC is the only league in major college football to boast 11 teams with at least a .500 record or better (the SEC has eight):

“I think it’s the trademark of our conference. I don’t think the people outside of our conference appreciate it. The coaches understand every week is a difficult game and the team that can get up every week and can win on the road has the best chance to win the conference. If the NFL could be like the ACC, all the owners would be happy.”

Short yardage

Maryland, by the way, is 3-0 in games decided by seven points or less and has won two of its three league games with fourth-quarter, game winning drives. ... UNC has trailed in all six of its wins this season, but conversely led most of the games in both its losses to Virginia Tech and Virginia. ... Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said that of his 22 starters against Carolina this weekend, 16 of them will be freshmen or sophomores. ... Virginia Tech has played only one home game over a 54-day stretch heading into tonight’s game against the Terps. However, the Hokies play three of their next four at home ... Now that Georgia Tech ended 12 years of frustration by beating FSU last weekend, Duke remains the lone ACC team that has not beaten the Seminoles. ... By the way, Georgia Tech is bowl eligible for the 12th straight year.

The picks

Last week: 2-2. To date: 51-20. Tonight: (With Glennon or Taylor) Virginia Tech 27, Maryland 24; (Without Glennon or Taylor) Maryland 24, Virginia Tech 19. Saturday: North Carolina 23, Georgia Tech 20; Florida State 30, Clemson 27; N.C. State 21, Duke 19; Notre Dame 24, Boston College 20; Virginia 19, Wake Forest 17.

 

Mammoth kick leads to instant fame
Chantel Jones made a 50-yard field goal, and she's got video evidence to boot.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

As Virginia marched up and down the field Saturday against Miami, there was more than one occasion when the Cavaliers could have used a 50-yard field goal.

Unfortunately for them, there is only one UVa kicker known to have kicked a 50-yarder this season -- and she was sitting in the stands.

Fact is, Chantel Jones isn't even in school.

Jones, previously the starting goalie for the Virginia women's soccer team, is taking a year off to train with the Under-20 United States national team.

That program doesn't get under way until next week, so Jones, who has spent the fall in Charlottesville, needed to keep herself occupied.

"I asked our academic coordinator if she knew if there were any jobs available around athletics," Jones said. "She said they might have a job in the football office."

The UVa football office employs a number of students, and it wasn't long before Jones' fellow workers learned that she played soccer.

"We were talking in the office and I had mentioned that I thought I could kick a 60-yard field goal," said Jones, a junior from Clover Hill High School in Chesterfield County. "There was one person who thought I could do it. Everybody else was 'no way.'"

The challenge was on.

UVa's football office is in the McCue Center, adjacent to the Cavalier practice fields. Jones started at 20 yards and made that. She was good on her first try from 30 yards, then 40.

She didn't miss until her first attempt from 50 yards, but her second try was perfect.

There's a YouTube video to prove it, with an intro that reads, "Chantel Jones Attempt at History."

Jones' supporters claim it was the longest field goal by a female, but, of course, there was no rush. Earlier this year, Sarah Oliver kicked a 44-yard field goal for the California Quake in the Women's Football League.

Remarkably, Jones says she had never kicked a football until this October.

"The day before [the challenge], I kicked it maybe three times in soccer practice just to see what it was like," she said. "I had thrown a football before. I never thought that I could kick it further."

Jones has been a football fan, specifically for the New York Giants, since she was a toddler. She remembers wearing a helmet and other Giants' paraphernalia as she would run around her family's yard.

"I never really played football," she said. "I wish I would have gone out for the team in high school because I think I would have made it. In high school, football and soccer are at two different times."

As of Wednesday afternoon, Jones' video had received more than 1,375 views and left her as something of a cult hero.

"Oh, gosh," she said. "I was at the football game two weeks ago and some random guy came up to me and said, 'Great field-goal kicking.' I had no idea who he was."

She also got a comment from UVa head coach Al Groh.

"He said, 'I saw your YouTube video; that was pretty impressive,'" she said.

In an aside following one of his recent news conferences, Groh said his first thought was to check Jones' eligibility.

She says she has three years remaining. Jones was redshirted as a freshman in 2006, started from the opening game in 2007, then received an NCAA waiver this year that will allow her to spread four seasons of eligibility over six years.

"You never know what's going to happen," she said, "but I'd love to give [football] a try."

UVa's place-kicker for most of the season has been Yannick Reyering, a first-team All-ACC selection for the UVa men's soccer team before his eligibility expired.

Jones was a second-team All-ACC choice in 2007, when she posted 13 shutouts.

Unlike Jones, Reyering played an attacking position in college. His job was to kick the ball under the crossbar.

"I'd probably have an advantage because the whole purpose of doing a goal kick is to get it up and over everyone," Jones said.

At this point, any discussion of Jones kicking for the UVa football team is purely hypothetical. Reyering never kicked for UVa while he was playing soccer and, like men's soccer, women's college soccer is played in the fall.

"Yannick's a really good kicker," Jones said. "He just kind of had a rough patch last weekend. If they have trouble, they have good back-ups. I don't think they'd ever need me."

Besides, there's one other issue. She's never tried to kick while wearing a helmet and pads.

"That could make a difference," she said. "There's a helmet lying around and I put it on. I could barely hold my head up.

"But, still, I'd love to do it. If they wanted me to do it and soccer would allow me to do it, I'd try it in a heartbeat."
 

Losing off the field
The athletic department must address the football team’s legal and academic problems
Robby Colby
Published: Thursday, November 6 2008

LAST WEEK, a member of our football team appeared in court for charges of breaking and entering and grand larceny. This is merely the latest in a string of off-the-field problems surrounding the University’s most public team. Within the last few years, there have been a startling number of players dismissed for their extracurricular behavior. This behavior embarrasses the program and the University, and demands more scrutiny by the athletic department on the character of its athletes in its recruiting process.

In the last year, multiple players have been dismissed from the team for legal problems. In addition to the aforementioned charges to Rashawn Jackson, quarterback Peter Lalich spent much of the semester dealing with charges stemming from underage drinking. Cornerback Mike Brown was dismissed after being charged with several crimes, from grand larceny to intent to sell stolen property. Linebacker J’Courtney Williams also had to leave the team after being charged with credit card theft. Add these three to other players dismissed in the last few years, such as the trio of Ahmad Brooks, Tony Franklin, and Vince Redd in 2006, and the trend begins to appear more alarming. The laundry list of players dismissed for their conduct off-the-field becomes shocking.

This is especially true given that all of these athletes were either contributors or stars on the field. Jackson, Cook, and Franklin were consistent starters. Sewell and Lalich were our last two starting quarterbacks. J’Courtney Williams was a highly touted prospect. Ahmad Brooks was an All-American and potential first-round pick in the NFL draft.

This suggests one of two things. It is possible that the environment surrounding our football team is toxic, that there is a generational influence among the players on the football team with bad apples passing on the same attitude to younger players. If so, then this is something the coach and team leaders must address directly. The other possibility, and one that seems most likely, is that those doing the recruiting for our football team place too high a premium on talent at the expense of ignoring potential character issues in the players they pursue. If this is the case, then it needs to change, because every time a player has a run-in with the law, it is an embarrassment to the football program, the athletic department, and the University.

Athletes can do significant damage to the reputations of their program with their actions off the field. Take, for example, Virginia Tech. One athlete, Marcus Vick, did a great deal to tarnish the success the team attained on the field with his actions off of it. He was accused of activities with an underage girl (in a case that only just reached a settlement), as well as possession of drugs and pulling a gun on teenagers in a parking lot. Vick is an excellent example of coaches looking past character flaws for the sake of talent, and for the embarrassment one player can cause a program.

So what should those doing the recruiting for the University do? Professional football teams sometimes hire private investigators to examine the conduct of potential draft picks before investing their money in them. This would not work on the college level, as there are too many players and teams under evaluation. Nor does it seem quite right to subject an 18-year-old to a full-scale investigation.

One possible solution is to utilize Facebook and Myspace. Information that athletes make public about themselves is a viable method to use for evaluating character. Additionally, recruiters can make more of an effort to glean information from high school administrators and faculty, looking for red flags in the records of athletes. It helps to gather character references from people close to the athlete in question. According to Athletic Director Craig Littlepage, coaches put forth a great deal of effort in getting to know the recruits, their families, and others close to them. After recruits make a formal visit, coaches evalute information given by those who came in contact with the prospective student athletes in order to “make the determination as to whether the prospect is someone that can be successful” at the University. To be fair, it might well be that this process works, and the team has simply gotten unlucky with a few athletes. The track record suggests, however, that recruiters need to pay more attention to red flags and less to the skills of the player.

The motto of the athletic department of our University is “uncompromised excellence.” It seems there have been compromises made in the talent-character tradeoff. If the choice comes down to winning a few more games on Saturday or continuing to read reports of the off-the-field failings of our players, I’ll take legitimate “uncompromised mediocrity” any day of the week.

 

Demon Deacons look at standings, realize existing possibilities
Comments 0 | Recommend 0
November 5, 2008 - 10:34 AM
Bob Sutton / Times-News

WINSTON-SALEM - This is what you've got to love about Atlantic Coast Conference football.

One minute Wake Forest is in danger of falling to perennial loser Duke at home and the next thing you know the Demon Deacons are right in the thick of the chase for a spot in the ACC championship game.

Five teams in the Atlantic Division have two or three victories entering this week's games. And the race could tighten before Wake Forest's game Saturday against Virginia because first-place Maryland plays a cross-over game against Virginia Tech on Thursday night.
"From where we've been, we could have played better," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said Tuesday, assessing his team's status and its season to date. "But we're still relevant. We've still got a fighting chance. ...

"There's so much at stake with each game that you can't dream too much about what might happen at the end of the season."

So the Demon Deacons remain a factor despite some October mishaps and being one of five ACC teams to be outscored in league games. Not to mention Wake Forest's 67 points in conference games are the lowest total in the league - even when compared with teams playing only four games so far.

The ACC is in such disarray - that's one way to put it - that the second weekend in November approaches and just about nothing has been determined regarding a pecking order.

"We pay attention to everything," Wake Forest defensive tackle Boo Robinson said when asked about the standings. "Like Coach Grobe says, ‘Everybody has it tough.' "

Based on the standings, which change weekly, Wake Forest would appear to have a decent remaining path. Its last three conference games come against teams (Virginia, North Carolina State, Boston College) with a combined five ACC victories.

Yet depending on perspective, other teams ought to like their chances, too.

"We're in a good position right now," Grobe said. "Unfortunately, a lot of people are in a good position."

This means the Demon Deacons are allowed to peek at that Maryland / Virginia Tech game.

"I think our whole team will be pretty much rooting for Virginia Tech," running back Brandon Pendergrass said.

Ultimately, it comes down to the Demon Deacons putting together a strong three-week stretch.

"The pressure is not on us," Pendergrass said, dismissing possible stress. "But we're on the hot seat."

Last week's ACC games were all decided in the final two minutes, with two games going into overtime. So there are no guarantees, making Wake Forest's coach apprehensive about putting energy into pulling for the outcomes of other games like the one Thursday night.
"I can't watch that too much," said Grobe, who usually admits to catching quite a bit of college football on television when his team isn't playing. "I have enough excitement of my own on Saturdays to get too stirred up (prior to that)."

 

Wake's Adams ready to return
Edward G. Robinson III
(Raleigh) News & Observer
Posted: Wednesday, Nov. 05, 2008

Adams missed one game.
WINSTON-SALEM Wake Forest sophomore running back Josh Adams will be available to play against Virginia on Saturday after missing his first game of the season against Duke last week.

Adams, the former Cary High star, sprained his left ankle in a game against Miami on Oct. 25.

Wake coach Jim Grobe said on Tuesday that Adams could have played against Duke if needed but was held out because he had not completely recovered and had not practiced during the week.

The Demon Deacons (5-3 overall, 3-2 ACC) have been hit hard by injuries over the past few weeks, losing center Trey Bailey (broken ankle) at Maryland. He is out for the season.

Wake senior kicker Sam Swank sprained his right quadriceps on Oct. 6 and has yet to return. He'll likely be listed as questionable for Saturday's home game.

Wake coaches are hoping he can overcome the soreness that has kept him on the sideline.

"I don't think he felt much better [Monday] than he did a week or two ago," Grobe said.

Grobe said kicking at half strength is not an option for the school's all-time scoring leader. He said another player, such as a linebacker or running back, might play with similar soreness, but the nature of kicking prevents that scenario.

"When you kick a football, you've really got to pull the trigger and go full speed," Grobe said. "So there's not really a halfway-back deal for a kicker."

 

Sharing the Load
Pendergrass splits time with Adams for Wake Forest
By Dan Collins
JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: November 6, 2008

Brandon Pendergrass fishes. So does Josh Adams.

The two running backs for Wake Forest haven't had a chance to fish together yet, but they've made definite plans to get out on a lake when the football season is over.

And as they're wetting their lines, what will they be talking about?

"Hopefully we'll be reminiscing about a big Orange Bowl," Pendergrass said. "Hopefully we'll be reminiscing about a big year and setting our goals for the next year."

To win a second conference championship in three seasons, Wake Forest will probably need big contributions from both. Adams, a sophomore from Cary who a year ago was the ACC Rookie of the Year, shares the position this year with Pendergrass, a redshirt freshman from Royal Palm Beach, Fla.

To share and share alike is quite a bit to ask of any running back confident and competitive enough to play ACC football.

But it's a lesson that Pendergrass learned in high school, which has served him in good stead his first season running the ball for Wake Forest.

Pendergrass' best friend at Royal Palm Beach was Zach Brown, who also happened to be a running back. Both were good enough to get scholarships, Pendergrass at Wake Forest and Brown at Wisconsin.

Unlike Pendergrass, who redshirted last season, Brown played his first season for the Badgers. Though he was stacked behind P.J. Hill on the depth chart, he took advantage of his opportunities to gain 250 yards against Minnesota and 108 yards against Michigan.

He gained 568 yards for the season on 119 carries, for an average of 4.8 yards a carry. This season, despite being listed as third team on the depth chart, he has rushed 46 times for 251 yards, for 5.5 yards a carry.

"Our senior year in high school both of us had over 1,000 yards rushing," Pendergrass said. "Being able to share the ball with Josh, it wasn't anything I wasn't used to already."

Sitting out a first season as a redshirt is hard on any football player used to playing a prominent role. It was harder on Pendergrass than most, given that his best friend was already making a name for himself at Wisconsin.

Coach Jim Grobe of Wake Forest said he could tell how badly Pendergrass wanted to play his first season.

"I think he wanted to come in, like most kids do, and be a splash right away," Grobe said. "I think he expected to have a chance to come in and play as a true freshman.

"He handled that really, really well. He never got down, just trusted us to get him on the field the best four years.

Pendergrass said he was often told in high school that he was too good to be sharing the position with anyone.

"Not as much from my family," Pendergrass said. "I heard it from people around the community. But I just shook it off because I knew we were better off with both of us playing, just like we are now.

"We're better off with me and Josh both being healthy on the field at the same time."

Obviously, Grobe agrees. Pendergrass has carried 84 times for 234 yards. Adams has carried 101 times for 357 yards.

Neither is among the league leaders, although Wake Forest's recent integration of the I-formation with the Spread formation has produced an average of 153.5 yards over the past two games -- a significant increase from the 94.7 yards rushing that the Deacons averaged through the first six games.

"At Miami I think our tailbacks got nearly 40 carries between them," Grobe said of the game in which Adams rushed 21 times and Pendergrass rushed 13. "They understand that if we're going to hand the ball to the tailback 40 times, it's going to be hard for one guy to do it.

"I think what's good is a little healthy competition. If I play best this week I get more snaps next week and vice versa."

Grobe said he was pleased with the way that Pendergrass carried the main load against Duke. With Adams sidelined by a sprained ankle, Pendergrass gained a season-high 64 yards. His 21 carries were seven more than his previous most.

"I just felt really comfortable having him in the game Saturday," Grobe said. "He made me feel more like he belonged out there.

"Earlier I thought he was stressing a little bit trying to make the right reads, trying to make the right cuts, all that kind of stuff. He looked like Saturday he just had fun playing football."

Just because Pendergrass is generous doesn't mean that the competitive fires don't burn. Another favorite pastime is bowling, and Pendergrass said that the alleys could get pretty heated around Royal Palm Beach when he and Brown and a couple of other friends would drop by for a few frames.

"We would really compete in bowling," Pendergrass said. "Bowling games would get intense.

"We got in the bowling alley and competition started heating up and shirts started coming off. You'd bowl your ball, go back and sit and (say), ‘Nobody don't talk to me.'

"It was fun."

The story wouldn't surprise Grobe, who recognizes that Pendergrass is competitive enough to take as much of the load as he can get. And he's confident enough to expect to succeed anytime he steps onto the field.

"Now he's very competitive," Grobe said. "He wants to play every snap if he can and that's what you want. You want a guy that wants to be on the field all the time."

 

Look Behind the Legends: The 'Frozen Rope'
Dom Starsia's keen game sense began as a defenseman at Brown

Now: He has led Virginia to three NCAA championships as head coach since 1993.
Then: A two-sport athlete at Brown (football), he went on to coach the Bears to two Ivy League championships and five NCAA berths from 1982 to '92.

Nov. 5, 2008

By now, you know their names. You know how they played, how they coached and how they helped shape the game that we know today.

They've helped make lacrosse for us. But what made lacrosse for them?

In the November issue hitting mailboxes this week, Lacrosse Magazine presents our profiles of the National Hall of Fame's Class of 2008. The honorees will take their place alongside the game's greatest figures in the annual induction celebration, presented by Bollinger Insurance, on Nov. 8 in Hunt Valley, Md.

Being a Division I college lacrosse coach is a tough business. It requires an intricate knowledge of the game, a tireless work ethic and a family that is understanding when it comes to long hours.

And that's just to field a team.

To become a championship coach at that level requires something more. Maybe that's why only five different schools have won national titles over the last two decades.

Fortunately for the University of Virginia, they have one of those special coaches.

Dom Starsia's ability to think differently dates back to his playing days at Brown University. Recruited out of Valley Stream, N.Y., as a football player, Starsia picked up lacrosse as a freshman. By his junior year, he had blossomed into an All-American defenseman under the tutelage of Cliff Stevenson.

The date was May 5, 1973, and Brown was hosting Penn in a game that would likely decide the Ivy League title. The Bears would end up winning, 9-7, thanks to two intuitive plays Starsia made.

"Penn was in a 10-man ride, so the goalie was out of the cage, covering one of our attackmen," recalls teammate Bob Rubeor. "Dom pulls up at the restraining line and I break from the corner of the field, right towards the goal. He threw a 70-yard frozen rope that never got more than seven feet off the ground. Hit me in full stride. One I just laid into an open goal. And another one I caught and passed it over to another attackman, who threw it in the open goal. That's something you don't see defensemen doing today, but it was an indication of his strength and his understanding of the game."

Starsia graduated in 1974 and continued building his lacrosse resume, both as an all-club player and an assistant coach at his alma mater. He took over the head coaching duties in 1982, and he now stands sixth in NCAA history with 285 victories in 26 seasons at Brown and Virginia. In September, UVA awarded Starsia with a contract extension that will keep him in Charlottesville at least through 2012.

Starsia's success at Virginia -- which includes national championships in 1999, 2003 and 2006 -- stems from a variety of reasons. Some of Starsia's coaching philosophy seems simple (recruiting great attackmen and goalies, for one). What sets him apart is his willingness to let his players play. Cavaliers are not required to conform to some code as if they were cast from an injection molder. Year in and year out, Starsia puts his best players on the field and gives them free reign to display their creative talents.

And if they are anything like their coach, that creativity will undoubtedly yield fantastic results.

NCAA’s finest descend on city
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 5, 2008

These days, it’s somewhat rare when college men’s and women’s tennis events are held simultaneously.

That, coupled with the unbelievable amount of competition that will be on hand from all across the country, makes the ITA Indoor National Championships, which kick off today at the Boar’s Head Sports Club, unique.

The Virginia men’s team will have three players in the singles field and two teams in the doubles. The women’s squad will have one player in singles and one in doubles.

“We had a great fall, and this is the accumulation of all our hard work — having the opportunity to host our first-ever national championship,” said Virginia coach Brian Boland. “I believe it’s an exciting time for Virginia tennis, both on the men’s and women’s side.”

The four-day tournament, which begins at 10 a.m. and is open to the public, is the first national collegiate tennis championship to be held in Charlottesville. The men’s singles field features 17 of the preseason top 20 players in the country while the women’s field is highlighted by 13 players in the preseason top 20 rankings.

Dominic Inglot, Michael Shabaz and Sanam Singh will represent the men in singles. The squads of Singh and Houston Barrick, and Inglot and Shabaz will compete in doubles.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for our players to go out and compete against the best,” said Boland, whose team won the national indoor individual and team championships last season that took place in Columbus, Ohio, and Seattle. “This is one of the grand slams of college tennis. We couldn’t be more excited. We’re really grateful that the administration and Boar’s Head came together to host such an outstanding and prestigious event.”

Meanwhile, the Virginia women will have Jennifer Stevens in the 32-player singles field and the team of Amanda Rales and Maggie Yahner in the 16-team doubles field.

“It’s an incredible opportunity,” echoed Virginia coach Mark Guilbeau, whose team was granted a wild-card entry into the event. “Not just for them, but really for the whole team, even though not everybody is directly participating. This is the level that we all want to be earning our way into eventually, so to have some of our players in there is a great opportunity.”

Guilbeau said he is looking forward to seeing how Stevens — who earned her way into the event by winning an intra-team tournament — performs.

“I think Jenny right now is playing as well as she has since she’s been at UVa,” Guilbeau. said. “It’s definitely been her most solid fall season to date.”

Guilbeau, however, sounded like he was trying to keep his expectations realistic.

“There won’t be an easy match out there,” he said, “whether you’re a wild-card player or one of the top players in the country.”

 

Hoos' horse
A look at the staple of University football games, Sabre, the Cavalier’s mount
Julie Eckert, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, November 6 2008
 

What does football season mean for University students and fans? Tailgating, “The Good Old Song,” guys in ties, girls in pearls, the Sea of Orange? What about Sabre, Virginia football fans’ favorite horse? She gallops onto the field at each home game, eliciting cheers and chills from her adoring fans.

“Sabre,” whose real name is Trinda, is owned and ridden by Charlottesville local Kim Kirschnick. At their little plot on Stadium Road where Kirschnick and Trinda get ready for the game, a steady stream of Cavalier fans, both young and old, attempt to get a closer look at the horse.

“The cavalier on horseback leading the team out onto the field is an integral part of the game day environment at Virginia home football games,” said Rich Murray, associate athletics director for public relations. The mounted cavalier and his steed, however, were not always involved in University football games. The tradition of the mounted cavalier goes back to 1947 when University student Francis Bell first rode onto the field for the Virginia versus Harvard game. But Trinda has only had the job for the past five years, while Kirschnick has held the position of the mounted cavalier for seven.

Kirschnick said he used to wear a more traditional cavalier uniform, complete with white riding breeches, but Sports Promotions and Marketing eventually decided to alter the traditional garb to more closely resemble CavMan’s.

Both longtime polo players, Kirschnick said he and Trinda love their job with the University.

Kirschnick claimed that he only plays a small role in this traditional display of school pride. Fans are always asking about the horse, which, he said, is truly the star of the show.

A 15-year-old thoroughbred mare, Trinda is even-tempered and a hard worker, Kirschnick said. “Once she learns her job, she knows it,” he added.

Thoroughbreds are stereotypically skittish, but Trinda usually manages to stay calm when faced with screaming fans, fireworks and pompoms. Kirschnick explained that horses are creatures of habit, and so long as there are no changes in her routine, the sensible mare can handle the excitement relatively well.

“If they change the logo on the field she will notice every time and spook at that,” Kirschnick said.

At home on Kirschnick’s small farm in Ivy, Trinda lives with eight other horses. Despite her calm temperament, she is more or less the leader of the pack.

“She’s the boss,” Kirschnick said. “She doesn’t have to bite or kick, she can just pin back her ears.” And while she may bully her equine friends at home, Trinda absolutely loves people — and carrots, he said. After football season ends, she will enjoy a long winter break until she is ridden again in April.

In her career as the cavalier’s mount, Trinda has become quite the local celebrity. Kirschnick said he had a fan come up to him and say she had taken a picture of the duo, only to cut out his face, replace it with her husband’s and use it for her Christmas cards.

Students and fans are always eager to pose for pictures with Trinda and Kirschnick as they ride among tailgaters in the parking lot outside Scott Stadium. Trinda is so well-behaved that Kirschnick said he really only has one worry when it comes to interacting with the fans: “Most of the girls always have sandals on and you have to tell them to watch their toes.”

While the horse is very well-traveled because of her polo career, various logistical issues make it difficult for her and Kirschnick to attend away games. Kirschnick said Virginia fans were upset when Texas Tech brought its horse to the Gator Bowl last year and Trinda was not able to make the trip.

At home games, however, Trinda and Kirschnick’s act can be a crowd motivator.

“Nothing gets me excited and ready to cheer hard like when the [mounted cavalier] rides onto the field,” fourth-year College student Joe O’Brien said.

When reflecting on the fans’ overall reaction to Trinda, Kirschnick said, “Everybody loves it!”

Future Wahoos have taken a particular liking to the horse. Before the Virginia versus Miami game, children could be seen tentatively approaching Trinda and then grinning after Kirschnick invited them to pat her thick brown coat for good luck.

“When the kids come by, the girls say, ‘Aw she’s so pretty!’, and the boys always want to know if the sword is real,” Kirschnick said. He does not mind the horse getting all of the attention, though, and said that is how it should be.