One-time phenom Castro still slinging
Beamer hiring revisited
By Doug Doughty

In the summer of 2006, former William Fleming High School coach and quarterback guru John McGregor observed that he had never seen a quarterback with a quicker release than Alan Castro.

So whatever happened to Alan Castro?

At the time of McGregor’s comment, Castro had finished an injury-marred first season at Cave Spring and was preparing to transfer to North Cross. He has spent the past two seasons at Hidden Valley, where he might have gone in 2006 if he had been eligible to play football.

Castro had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament as a freshman at Cave Spring and subsequent injuries and operations prevented him from completing a full season until this year.

In a Hidden Valley offense that feature tailback David Turner, who had 209 carries for 1,029 yards, Castro completed 84 of 194 passes (43.3 percent) for 1,492 yards and 10 TDs.

He actually had better statistics as both a sophomore at North Cross and junior at Hidden Valley and finished his career with 4,652 yards and 39 touchdowns.

According to my unofficial records, Castro is third on the all-time Timesland passing list behind Andrew Lewis’ Eddie Joyce (6,351) and Lord Botetourt’s Anthony Ford (5,026).

Castro is tied for second in touchdown passes with Rockbridge County’s Jonathan Wilson behind Joyce, who had 64 in a much-celebrated Andrew Lewis career that ended in 1972.

(For the neophytes in the readership, Andrew Lewis serviced the area that now sends students to Salem High School).

I WAS PROMPTED to write about Castro this week by a reader who had attended a recent Duke game and had seen Castro among a group of prospects on the sidelines.

The reader knew enough about Duke’s recruiting to know that the Blue Devils were virtually finished with this year’s class, already had taken a quarterback, and were not in position to offer Castro.

All of that was correct.

Check out the recruits standing outside the tunnel at most games and only a few of the names are recognizable. In all likelihood, Castro wasn’t the only kid at Duke who didn’t have an offer.

Castro does have a history at Duke, where he underwent an “allograft” this summer in one last attempt to stabilize his knee. Allografts, involving the use of ligaments and other tissue from cadavers, have had increased usage in recent years.

“He came into his senior year faster and stronger than he’s ever been in high school,” Castro’s father, Armando said. “His junior year, he didn’t really train going into that season. The whole family, we were paralyzed with fear, to be honest with you.”

One Division I-A school that kept up with Castro was Louisville, but the Cardinals are in the midst of a 5-4 season that has raised some uncertainty about the status of second-year head coach Steve Kragthorpe.

Castro measures 6 foot 2 and 196 pounds, and he runs 40 yards in 4.7 seconds, according to his dad.

“He wants to play Division I,” Armando Castro said. “If he doesn’t get any offers – you can see, there aren’t any junior colleges around the schools he wants – then prep school is probably going to be the other offer.”

The best bet would be Fork Union Military for both Castro and his favorite receiver since grade school, Matt Aiken. Aiken’s brother, Danny, spent a postgraduate season at Fork Union and ended up with a scholarship from Virginia, where he is in his second season as the Cavaliers’ deep snapper.

READERS OF THE print edition of The Roanoke Times may have noticed an item in Thursday’s College Notebook to the effect that Al Groh was interviewed for the Virginia Tech job before Frank Beamer was hired in December 1986.

I wasn’t looking for information on Beamer and Groh. I was trying to find out how many interceptions Salem mayor and this week’s Fearless Forecasters’ guest, Randy Foley, had as a senior at Salem High School.

I pored over microfilm until I was dizzy but could never find any information about Foley. However, I found a series of articles on Tech’s coaching search, most written by longtime friend Blair Kerkhoff, who has been at the Kansas City Star for almost 20 years.

In an article dated Dec. 20, 1986, Kerkhoff said that then-Tech athletic director Dutch Baughman had interviewed Groh in Birmingham, Ala. What’s interesting is that Groh was still Wake Forest coach at the time, given that the 1986 season was his last at the helm.

As it turned out, he remained at Wake Forest until mid-January, resigning when athletic director Dr. Gene Hooks declined to renew his contract. One week after Groh resigned, the Deacons hired Bill Dooley, the former Hokies’ coach whom Groh had attempted to succeed.

But enough of Groh. Here are some of the other items I found interesting:

Beamer’s first contract was for four years and $80,000 per year “with various benefits.” What does he make now? More than $2 million per year?

Bobby Ross, who was offered the job, did not have a job when he twice turned down the Tech job. He was interviewed by Tech, California and Purdue before taking an assistant’s job with the Buffalo Bills. Ross had resigned at Maryland on Dec. 1, citing “broken promises and lack of administration support,” according to Kerkhoff’s piece.

Bruce Arians, former Tech quarterback and then-Temple head coach, removed his name from consideration. In an article published Dec. 22, one day before Beamer’s introduction, the only other candidates known to have interviewed were Groh and Dooley’s offensive coordinator, Pat Watson. Should we assume Groh was in the final three?

Other names mentioned at various stages were then-Tulane coach Mack Brown, Miami offensive coordinator Gary Stevens and Willliam and Mary coach Jimmye Laycock. Steve Spurrier, then observing a one-year break from football after serving as coach of the United States Football League’s Tampa Bay Bandits, spoke with Baughman by phone but was concentrating on the job at LSU job that went to Mike Archer, now the defensive coordinator at N.C. State.

Spurrier ended up at Duke for the 1987 season following the resignation of Steve Sloan.
 

Season begins at JPJ Sunday against VMI
Leitao pleased with defense in exhibition, seeks progress in opener against Keydets
Brett Levinson, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, November 13 2008

After being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot at the beginning of preseason practice, junior Calvin Baker has elected to play through the injury. Baker is the likely starter at point guard Sunday. The departure of star point guard Sean Singletary leaves a significant void for the Virginia men’s basketball team that a nucleus of young players — oscillating between flashes of potential and inexperience — will fill together.

The Virginia men’s basketball team opens the season this Sunday against VMI at John Paul Jones Arena, where it posted a 13-7 record last year. As has been the theme throughout the preseason, defense will be key against VMI; though the Keydets have posted no better than a .500 record the past two seasons, they led Division I in scoring both years with 100.9 points per game in 2006 and 91.3 points per game in 2007. Because the high-flying Keydets are looking to give the Big South Conference a victory against a major basketball conference, the season opener will be a chance for Virginia coach Dave Leitao to assess Virginia’s defensive progress.

Leitao “talks about communication every day in practice,” sophomore guard Jeff Jones said. “That’s what’s going to win games — defense.”

The exhibition game against Division II opponent Shepherd (W.Va.) last Sunday featured both highs and lows. Though the Cavaliers won handily 87-52, sloppy play slowed the game at times, particularly in the first half. Because Virginia struggled defensively last season, giving up an average of 74.8 points per game — second worst in the conference — defense will take priority through the early season. Leitao said he was happy with the defense Sunday.

“My mindset has been to do a better job defensively at every stage all season long,” Leitao said. “I pretty much thought that we did that.”
Leitao has also been tinkering with the rotation, as seen by his decision to start sophomore guard Mustapha Farrakhan and have Jones — who started 25 games last season — come off the bench.

“I thought this was an opportunity to give Farrakhan the first look to see how he would react to it,” Leitao said. “I thought he did pretty well.”

After coming in, Jones got off to a hot start, scoring 18 points off 6-12 shooting, including 3-6 from the 3-point line, which the NCAA lengthened by a foot to 20 feet, 9 inches. Jones said he is more than willing to make the sacrifice of coming off the bench if necessary.
“We talked briefly about [Jones not starting],” Leitao said. “It’s a really good option that you have that kind of spark coming off the bench, if that is the mentality that he’s comfortable with.”

Coming to Charlottesville with star potential, freshman guard Sylven Landesberg, after a rocky first half, finished the game with 13 points and four assists, also shooting 7-10 from the free-throw line. Landesberg showed that he can play both sides of the ball, particularly in the open court.

“He can score, but he can also be very unselfish,” Leitao said. “When you do that, you have a tendency to stuff a stat sheet pretty well.”
Landesberg’s time on the court evidences the youth movement in Virginia men’s basketball at the moment; of the seven players who saw more than 18 minutes Sunday, six were either freshmen or sophomores.

“Everybody’s got to play ahead,” said redshirt freshman guard Sammy Zeglinski, who dished out six assists in his first return to action at JPJ since suffering a season-ending injury at the beginning of last season.

“The freshman have to play like sophomores, sophomores have to play like juniors because we’re so young,” Zeglinski said.

Two upperclassmen who should see more time as the season progresses are sidelined by injury: Junior forward Jamil Tucker returned for the game against Shepherd after suffering a shoulder injury during preseason practices, and junior guard Calvin Baker continues to work through a stress fracture. Doctors have cleared him to play, however, and he started as point guard against Shepherd, though he looked “a little bit choppy,” Leitao said.

This squad presents a new era of Virginia basketball, as well as a new year and even new uniforms. If the young team can work together and Leitao can drill solid defensive principles that were absent last season, there might be a few surprises in store for Virginia basketball fans.

 

Heralded freshman Landesberg suits up for Cavaliers
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 13, 2008

In the waning moments of last Sunday’s exhibition game at John Paul Jones Arena, Sylven Landesberg soared majestically toward the basket.
Then, almost out of nowhere, the Virginia freshman announced his arrival to Wahoo Nation — a thunderous one-hand dunk right on the head of a defender from Shepherd.
If Marv Albert, Landesberg’s hometown basketball announcer, was calling the game, he might have exclaimed, “Landesberg, providing a facial!”
Unfortunately for Landesberg, the basket
didn’t count. The Queens, N.Y. native was called for traveling.
The one play, however, was arguably the most encouraging sign from an incoming recruit during Virginia coach Dave Leitao’s tenure.
The play showed athleticism. It showed aggression. It reeked of confidence.
But would you expect anything else from a McDonald’s All-American?
Landesberg, though, doesn’t like to bask in his “Burger Boy” glow.
“The McDonald’s thing — that’s past, that’s done with,” said Landesberg, when asked about the expectations associated with the accolade. “I’m just coming in here fresh and trying to do whatever I can to help the team. That’s what I want to do — help the team win, regardless of what my role or position is. I just want to help the team win.”
Landesberg is certainly going to be counted on to do so. The 6-foot-6 guard, the school’s first McDonald’s All-American since Majestic Mapp in 1999, will likely be under the microscope because of his high school acclaim.
Landesberg, who played at Holy Cross High, led the New York City Catholic League — one of the most competitive leagues in the country — in scoring for three straight years.
Coincidentally, he broke the all-time scoring record at Holy Cross that former Virginia player Willie Dersch set.
The most impressive thing about Landesberg, however, doesn’t seem to be his offensive prowess. It’s his all-around game. At Holy Cross, Landesberg averaged over 11 rebounds and three assists per contest.
So far at Virginia, Landesberg has continued to show that well roundedness.
During the team’s exhibition tour to Canada over Labor Day weekend, Landesberg posted double-doubles in two of the three games.
In the win over Shepherd on Sunday, he had 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals in just 20 minutes of action.
“He can score, but can also be very unselfish,” Leitao said. “When you do that, you have a tendency to stuff a stat sheet pretty well.
“He’s a work in progress, but I think those kind of performances are something we can come to expect from him.”
Exactly where Landesberg fits into Leitao’s master plan is still a little up in the air. Leitao originally recruited Landesberg as a point guard, but then seemed to back off the idea following the emergence of former walk-on Calvin Baker.
But now with Baker trying to play through a foot injury, Leitao’s only other point guard is redshirt freshman Sammy Zeglinski.
That brings Leitao back to square one.
“We’ll probably see [Landesberg] at some point, sooner rather than later,” Leitao said. “That was the position I tried to keep him away from initially, but injuries being as they are, I’ve had to put him in that position earlier than he or I would have liked.
“We’ll just use him as a jack of all trades and allow him to grow as he does that.”
Landesberg doesn’t care how Leitao uses him.
“As long as I’m on the court, I’m happy,” he said. “I could be playing the 5, the 4, the 2, the 1 – it doesn’t matter. I’m just happy to be on the court.”
Leitao sees some similarities between Landesberg and Sammy Mejia, a 6-foot-6 point guard he coached at DePaul.
Paul Gilvary, Landesberg’s high school coach, believes his pupil has the ability to play anywhere on the perimeter.
“He’s not a stereotypical point guard — in kind of the old-school, dribble the ball up the court and screen-away kind of player,” Gilvary said. “That’s not his game at all.
“He’s very good with the ball in his hands because he understands the game and can handle and pass well enough to create things. But as long as he’s out there playing, I don’t think it really matters what [position] they assign him to. He’ll do what he’s good at.”
Landesberg seems to have a knack for getting to the free-throw line. That bodes well for a team losing Sean Singletary, who accounted for over 30 percent of the team’s attempts from the charity stripe last season.
In the game on Sunday, Landesberg was 7 of 10 from the line.
“He’s an attacker,” said Virginia sophomore Jeff Jones. “He likes to attack and keep people on their heels — just attacking the defense. He’s aggressive and we need him to stay aggressive in order for us to be good this year.”
Gilvary says the best thing about Landesberg is his humble attitude. He calls him a “low-maintenance player.”
“He’s a very hard worker,” Gilvary said. “That’s a tremendous asset when your best player is your hardest worker.
“He’s kind of unique in that he’s not one of these kids who thinks that he’s great and walks around with a sense of entitlement. He wants to be great and is willing to put the time and effort in to make it happen.”
Landesberg seems tired of all the talk surrounding him. He’s just chomping at the bit to start the season.
“I can’t wait,” he said, smiling. “I’ve been waiting for this for a while. Ever since my high school season ended I’ve been waiting to play Division I, ACC basketball.”

 

Virginia in the Hunt for Superstar Recruit Renardo Sidney
As they say, close is only good enough for horseshoes and hand grenades. Virginia coach Dave Leitao has taken a very bold approach to recruiting while in Charlottesville, taking on the Dukes and North Carolinas of the world head-on...
by Ben Gibson (Columnist)
 

As they say, close is only good enough for horseshoes and hand grenades.

Virginia coach Dave Leitao has taken a very bold approach to recruiting while in Charlottesville, taking on the Dukes and North Carolinas of the world head-on.

Leitao has gone after the biggest names, like Eric Wallace, Patrick Patterson, and Ed Davis. Every time he has gotten to the short list of some of those phenoms but has been unable to seal the deal.

After all, Virginia does have a good basketball history, but it is nothing compared to some of the brass of the ACC.

Well, that's exactly why Virginia may get one of its best recruits since Ralph Sampson.

Sampson was heavily courted by some of the biggest names in college basketball. Virginia fans realized the enormity of their task, so they thought on a rather large scale.

When Sampson arrived, Virginia fans had painted the roof of University Hall to say "Ralph's House." When he flew over Charlottesville, Virginia had some of its best advertising in school history.

Well, a new arena might require a new paint job.

Renardo Sidney, a power forward from Fairfax High in California is rated fifth in the country according to Scout.com and 10th by Rivals.com.

The 6'10", 250-lb. senior is certainly courting with some of the biggest names in basketball, like UCLA among others.

However, reports seem to indicate that Sidney is less interested in following the famous footsteps of Kevin Love and setting his own trail like Michael Beasley.

Sidney saw how a talented scorer like Beasley was able to take over the Big 12 and take a school from mediocrity to national relevance.

Sidney thinks that he can accomplish that same task, and that opportunity is clearly something that interests him.

Virginia would certainly be a candidate, having gone to the NCAA tournament just twice this decade. The Cavaliers are searching for a name to follow up the stellar career of Sean Singletary, and Sidney would fit just the ticket.

With fellow McDonald's All-American freshman Sylven Landesburg running the point, Virginia could go from the cellar to the top of the ACC standings faster than anyone would have imagined.

Sidney will be at the John Paul Jones Arena for Virginia's game against the explosive offensive game of the VMI Keydets. It is an opportunity for the Cavaliers to put their best foot forward and Leitao to silence his critics with a major recruiting coup.

It won't be easy, but to be safe, Virginia fans should get their paintbrushes ready.
 

U.Va.'s Littles ineligible for fall semester
Friday, Nov 14, 2008 - 06:05 PM

University of Virginia senior forward Lyndra Littles, widely regarded as one of the more physically gifted women's basketball players in the Atlantic Coast Conference, will not participate in games during the fall semester for academic reasons, U.Va. head coach Debbie Ryan announced today.

Littles, who started 28 games last season and averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds, could regain her eligibility following the semester.

Littles apologized to her family, coaches and teammates in a statement issued by the school. "I take full responsibility for my present situation," she said. "I am doing everything I can to rectify this situation so I will be able to play at the conclusion of the semester." -- Vic Dorr
 

Littles loss no worry for Cavs
By Scott Ratcliffe
Published: November 15, 2008

No. 15 Virginia used an impressive debut performance from its freshmen and a solid second half from Wooden Award candidate Monica Wright, rolling past High Point 78-48 in the season opener at John Paul Jones Arena on Friday night.

First-year guard Ariana Moorer led all scorers with 19 points and dished out five assists, and fellow freshman Whitny Edwards delivered in the absence of senior Lyndra Littles, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Another freshman, Chelsea Shine, added 10 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes.

“I felt confident tonight — my teammates were helping me and encouraging me,” Moorer said of her first collegiate start. “It’s always nerve-wracking in the beginning, but then it goes away when the ball is tipped up.”

Wright got off to a slow start, missing seven of her nine first half shots, but scored 11 of her 16 points in the second half. Center Aisha Mohammed had 11 points and a team-high 14 rebounds, 10 of those coming on the offensive glass. Moorer and Wright each recorded seven steals.

“I got great play from my first-year players — I thought they were really ready to play tonight,” coach Debbie Ryan said following the opening game of the 32nd season of her Hall of Fame career. “Monica is always a player that comes ready to play, but I thought Ariana Moorer tonight played extremely well. Whitny had a terrific game as well.”

Littles, who averaged 16.8 points and 7 rebounds a year ago, was ruled academically ineligible for the fall semester, the school announced Friday. Ryan hopes that the first-year players, along with guard Britnee Millner can step up in her absence for the remainder of Littles’ absence from the team.

“It’s a huge loss for us,” Ryan admitted. “We’ve been prepared for it. We had some advanced notice about it. We will have to have the next woman up and we’re going to have to move on, there’s just nothing we can do about it.”

High Point kept it close midway through the first half, but Virginia went on a 17-4 run over the final 7:48 of the half to lead 34-19 at the break.

The Cavs picked up where they left off, as they shot 43 percent after the half — 17 percent better than their first-half performance. Virginia scored 32 points off 37 Panthers turnovers, and outrebounded High Point 52-34.

Millner, who will likely split point guard duties with Moorer, left the game with an ankle injury but returned in the second half. The backcourt tandem will have big shoes to fill this season, as Friday marked the Cavs’ first game without Sharnee Zoll, who set the ACC all-time assist record in her senior season last year.

“That’s got to be a little bit of a learning curve,” Ryan said. “If [Moorer] is going to give me 19 points, I can’t worry about four more assists.”

Moorer added: “I’ve been striving to fill that role, and pick up where [Zoll] left off. It’s been challenging but it’s getting better every day.”

The Cavaliers (1-0) will now travel to Knoxville to take on seventh-ranked Tennessee on Monday night. Ryan knows that her team needs to work out a few kinks in order to pull off an upset on the road.

“You won’t be able to turn the ball over like that against Tennessee, or you’ll be down by 20 in a heartbeat,” said Ryan. “We have to be a little more physical and we have to be better on the boards. I think we can be even better than we were tonight.”


 

U.VA. NOTES: Doubts about prospect
Saturday, Nov 15, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Doubts about prospect
The blue-chip prospect who's scheduled to arrive at U.Va. today for an unofficial visit is bringing some baggage.

That Renardo Sidney is a supremely gifted basketball player is unquestioned. The 6-10, 250-pound senior from Los Angeles' Fairfax High is ranked No. 5 by Scout.com and No. 10 by Rivals.com in the Class of 2009. His potential is such that many expect to see him in the NBA come the 2010-11 season.

"When Renardo Sidney is in shape and focused on his game, he may not have a rival in this class," said Dave Telep, the lead recruiting analyst for Scout.com. "The sky is truly the limit for him, and it's completely up to him."

Critics have called him lazy and questioned his attitude. Plug his name into a Google search, and you'll find several articles about Sidney and his controversial career.

The New York Times ran a long piece focusing on Sidney. It included this quote from Reebok's Christopher Rivers:

"Fantastic basketball player," Rivers said. "Good kid, never been arrested, not on drugs, never kicked out of school, not failing classes. He's a normal kid. Probably comes home late and spends too much time on his computer. But because he's 6-foot-10 and he's special and has the ability to make a lot of money if he continues his craft, and he's treated like there's something wrong with him? What's wrong with him?"

Sidney and his parents are scheduled to spend today, tomorrow and Monday in Charlottesville. Virginia opens the season tomorrow against VMI at John Paul Jones Arena.

The NCAA's early-signing period began Wednesday. U.Va. hopes to get a letter of intent from Sidney before he heads home.

Cavs' captains set
The Cavaliers' tri-captains for 2008-09 are the team's seniors -- swingman Mamadi Diane and center Tunji Soroye -- and junior guard Calvin Baker.

Laurynas Mikalauskas would have been a senior this season, but coach Dave Leitao dismissed him from the team.

Mikalauskas was a favorite of U.Va. fans, but Leitao isn't worried that the 6-8 Lithuanian's absence will hurt the atmosphere at home games.

"If somebody's pumping their fist, that doesn't mean that provides the kind of leadership that teams need," Leitao said. "I think if we make an important 3-pointer and another team calls a timeout, the crowd's not going to be less enthusiastic because there's a fist up or not. I think our play will always dictate how energized our fans will be."

Dudley to be honored
A reception honoring former U.Va. football star "Bullet" Bill Dudley will be held Thursday night at the Reynolds Building, 6641 W. Broad St.

Proceeds will benefit the non-profit Bill Dudley Scholarship Foundation. The foundation annually awards a $4,000 scholarship to a high school football player from the Richmond area. The 2007 winner was Deep Run High's Drew Daniels.

This year's recipient will be announced at the Dudley Award banquet Dec. 11 in Richmond. The Dudley Award is presented each year to the top player from the state schools that compete in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision or Football Championship Subdivision.

Dudley, who lives in Lynchburg, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

For information about Thursday's reception, contact Frank Maloney at fmaloney@fnbc.cc or (804) 288-6263.

Starsia roasted
About 150 of his former players gathered Friday night in Baltimore to celebrate the feats of -- and to roast -- Dom Starsia.

"That was just a blast," said Starsia, who was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame the next night.

Starsia, who played at Brown, has compiled a record of 184-61, with three NCAA titles, in 16 seasons as U.Va.'s coach. He coached at his alma mater before coming to U.Va. and went 101-46 with the Bears. -- Jeff White

 

Cavaliers move into post-Singletary era
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 15, 2008

At last month’s ACC men’s basketball media day, Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez had a funny look on his face when he was asked about how he expected Virginia to fare this season without three-time All-ACC guard Sean Singletary.

He looked like a mischievous kid who had just snuck a quick peek at his Christmas presents.

“Can I tell you a secret?” asked Vasquez, breaking into a sheepish grin. “I’m very happy he’s gone. That man was unbelievable. He was just so good.

“To me, he was the best point guard in the league last year, without a doubt. He was real little, but had the biggest heart. If you put him on UNC, they probably would have won the national championship. He was unguardable.”

Yes, for the last three years — ever since coach Dave Leitao came aboard — Virginia has been blessed with one of the best players in the conference.

Singletary, now a rookie with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, did it all for UVa.

Last season, he led the Cavaliers in points, assists, steals and free-throw percentage.

“He was their motor,” said Duke guard Gerald Henderson. “He made everything go.”

Actually, Singletary was the motor, the carburetor, the gear shifter, the power windows and all six discs in the CD changer.

When people talk about how Virginia will fare this season without Singletary, there are usually two schools of thought.

The first (and more popular) theory — as the media poll predicting UVa to finish last in the ACC would attest — is that the Cavaliers will struggle mightily to fill their former captain’s shoes.

The second is that Virginia will actually be better off without Singletary because it won’t be as reliant on just one player and might be more of a cohesive unit.

The correct theory may lie somewhere in the middle.

Leitao is the first to admit that many of his players deferred to Singletary over the past three years.

“That happens naturally on almost any team when you have a player as good as Sean or who is an experienced leading scorer or whatever,” said Leitao, whose team opens its season against VMI on Sunday. “Those are role definitions. It just so happened that his role over four years was as a primary scorer and an integral part of what was going on every possession.

“Everybody else’s role happened to be defined around that, and now one of the jobs that we have that is most important is to redefine some of those roles — how a guy can fit into a new increased or decreased role on this team and how it relates to a different locker room and a different group of guys.”

The hardest part about losing Singletary is the fact he was the point guard and had the ball in his hands for the majority of games.

The only natural point guard currently on Virginia’s roster is Sammy Zeglinski, who played in just eight games last season as a freshman before taking a medical redshirt.

How quickly Zeglinski — a former high school teammate of Singletary’s at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia — can adjust to the college game will be huge.

“I think he has the physical ability to pull it off,” Leitao said, “and from a leadership standpoint that’s the thing you have to have — the ability to put people in the right positions constantly. You’ve got to be able to continue to do that in order to grow into that position positively.”

The nice thing about Zeglinski — the first player whom Leitao took a commitment from at the start of his tenure three years ago — is his unselfish style of play. Whereas Singletary looked for his own shot first and foremost, Zeglinski is a pass-first point guard in the truest sense of the phrase.

“I think Sammy thinks more about being more aggressive with his passes,” said Virginia senior Mamadi Diane. “When he penetrates, he’s looking to kick or dump down and distribute the ball more than anything.”

Zeglinski, Diane said, is the kind of guy you love to have on your team in a pickup game.

“[He] makes wings sprint harder and makes you curl into cuts faster, just knowing that he’s always looking for you at every opportunity,” Diane said.

Leitao’s other option at the point is junior Calvin Baker, who started in the team’s exhibition win over Shepherd last Sunday. At this point, Baker, recently named a tri-captain, is clearly the more accomplished and confident player of the two.

However, Baker — the team’s fourth-leading scorer last season after transferring from William & Mary — seems more suited to playing off the ball, and it remains to be seen whether he has the ingredients to run a team. The Newport News native is also attempting to play through a stress fracture in his foot.

Clearly, the largest void left by Singletary’s departure — in addition to intangibles — is offensive production. Last season, Singletary accounted for over 25 percent of the team’s points.

That means players such as Baker, Diane and sophomores Mike Scott, Jeff Jones and Mustapha Farrakhan will need to pick things up.

“It’s definitely a little weird not seeing him,” said Scott recently. “I mean, Sean Singletary was one of the best point guards in the league and the nation. We’re getting used to it, though”

Diane provided the most blunt assessment of how things might be without Singletary — at least initially.

“It’s going to be devastation,” he said, “but at the same time people don’t realize that he did have the ball a lot with him, so other players didn’t have that opportunity and now they really will.

“It’s an opportunity for a lot of other guys to step up and have bigger roles.”

Diane sounds as though he might even be a subscriber to Theory No. 2 — that Virginia has the potential to be better without their former star.

“There have been teams in the past, who have lost a great player and are then a much better team the year after,” Diane said. “I don’t know what that is — maybe just everybody feels that after that player leaves they have to step up more and become a better team.”

Vasquez wasn’t buying into that, though.

“They’re going to miss him. The fans will miss him, [but] I’m not going to miss him,” he said, laughing.

 

Virginia Takes Down No. 1 Wake Forest, 3-2, Will Play For ACC Championship
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 11/14/2008

CARY, N.C. – Prior to Friday night’s second semifinal, the higher seed had
won every match in the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer
Championship. Fourth-seeded Virginia changed that equation in dramatic
fashion.

Matt Poole’s penalty kick with 4:15 remaining in the second overtime lifted
the Cavaliers to a 3-2 win over top-seeded, defending national champion and
previously unbeaten Wake Forest before a rain-soaked crowd at WakeMed
Stadium in Cary, N.C.

Virginia (11-7-1) earned a spot opposite second-seeded Maryland in Sunday’s
1 p.m. championship match. Wake Forest (18-1-1) lost for the first time in
25 matches, an unbeaten streak that dated to last year’s ACC Championship
final against Boston College.

“I’m incredibly proud to not only win, but win in the fashion that we did,”
said Virginia coach George Gelnovatch. “They’re a great team. “We’re going
to enjoy this one until 12:01 (a.m. Saturday), and start thinking about
Maryland first thing in the morning.”

With the upset victory, the Cavaliers continued an uncanny run of success
against Wake Forest in ACC Championship matches. Virginia is now 10-0-2 in
tournament play vs. the Demon Deacons, including a 7-0-2 mark in the
semifinals.

Poole’s successful penalty kick, his third in two ACC Championship games,
was set up when a foul was called on Wake Forest’s Nick Courtney for taking
down Virginia forward Brian Ownby in the box on a break. Poole sent his
winning kick past Deacon keeper Akira Fitzgerald into the right side of the
net.

The match evolved into a defensive struggle until Wake Forest finally broke
through with 37:26 remaining in regulation. Senior forward Marcus Tracy took
a pass from Corben Bone and sent home a shot from 15 yards out for his 12th
goal of the season and a 1-0 Demon Deacons’ lead.

Wake Forest got several more good looks in the next eight minutes, but the
attempts either narrowly missed their mark or were thwarted by Virginia
keeper Giallombardo. The Cavaliers kept the deficit at one goal, setting the
stage for tying and go-ahead goals that seemed to leave them on the brink of
victory.

The tying goal came with 21:46 remaining, when junior Jonathan Villanueva
took a short pass from Ownby and knocked in his third goal of the year.
Then, with just over eight minutes remaining in the match, Chase Nienken
headed in a cross from junior Neil Barlow, putting Virginia in front 2-1.

”My hat goes off to Virginia,” Wake Forest coach Jay Vidovich said. “They
did a great job of making us uncomfortable. Virginia came into the game with
a great game plan in which they executed equally as well. In the first half
they forced us out of our game, but in the second half our guys did a great
job of adjusting and fighting their way back into the game.”

Freshman forward Danny Wenzel came to the Deacons’ rescue with 1:34 to play,
sending a shot from a crowded pack off a corner kick into the netting for
his first goal of the season and a 2-2 tie. Wake almost completed an
incredible rally for the win in regulation, as Bone’s shot from 12 yards out
with 10 seconds remaining glanced off the foot of teammate Lyle Adams and
into the goal. But the Deacons were called for offsides on the play, sending
the contest into overtime.

“In the second half we had our chances, but we just missed them,” Vidovich
said. “We thought the momentum was going our way going into the overtime
period, but it just didn’t pan out that way tonight.”

Instead, the night came down to Poole and his penalty kick, and the Virginia
senior delivered in certain fashion.

“When Wake goes up, they shut it down and teams fold - but we didn’t let
them,” Gelnovatch said. “Anybody we played tonight, we would have beaten.”

The championship game will kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16 and will be
nationally televised on Fox Sports Net. The ACC men’s soccer awards ceremony
will be held immediately following the title game.

For complete results, please visit TheACC.com and make sure to check out the
2008 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship page.


 

Cavaliers Top Army 2-0 in NCAA First Round
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 11/14/2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia women’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 victory over Army Friday night at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers outshot the Black Knights 22-1 in the contest and used goals from Sinead Farrelly (Havertown, Pa.) and Jess Rostedt (Kent, Ohio) to advance to the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament for the 15th consecutive season.

“I thought we did some good things tonight,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “Army is very organized and a difficult team to play against. It had been a while since we had played a team that stayed back so much against us.”

The Cavaliers (14-4-3), the No. 2 seed in the UCLA region, took a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute of play. A clearance by the Army defense came right to Farrelly at the top of the penalty area. The sophomore midfielder took a touch before firing in her fifth goal of the season. Virginia added a second goal in the 58th minute. Sarah Senty (Arlington, Va.), playing in her school record-tying 91st career game, sent a ball over the top to Rostedt, who sent a ball inside the far post from inside the area for her third goal of the season.

“I thought our possession was good tonight,” said Swanson. “We made them work defensively. When you make it hard for them to get the ball and then to keep the ball, it is hard to get into any rhythm offensively.

In addition to the 22-1 shot advantage, Virginia had a 8-0 corner kick advantage. Cavalier goalkeeper Celeste Miles (Garland, Texas) posted her ninth shutout of the season, while Alex Lostetter made six saves for Army.

Army ends the season with a 12-6-3 record. The Black Knights made their first NCAA Tournament appearance, giving retiring head coach Gene Ventriglia an opportunity to coach in the tournament.

“This was my last game,” said Ventriglia. “I thought I would be sad, but I am not. I have coached for 24 years and it was a great journey. I am so proud of this team and how they played tonight. They fought hard like a typical Army team.”

“It is always sad for me to see someone like Gene leave the profession,” said Swanson. “His team played very hard tonight. They reflected the principles that the academy and Gene stand for. We will miss him next year.”

Virginia will meet West Virginia in a second round game Sunday at noon at Klöckner Stadium. The Mountaineers scored a 2-1 victory over Princeton in the other first round game Friday in Charlottesville. The game will be a rematch of a regular season game from September in Morgantown, won by West Virginia 3-0.


 

Attorneys reiterate Vick expects to return to NFL
Bankruptcy filings detail $17 million spent over two years
The Associated Press

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Richmond — Imprisoned NFL quarterback Michael Vick expects to return to pro football, according to his bankruptcy attorneys who laid out a plan to pay creditors based in part on his anticipated earnings.

“The Debtor has every reason to believe that upon his release, he will be reinstated into the NFL, resume his career and be able to earn a substantial living,” Vick’s attorneys wrote in a disclosure statement filed before a hearing Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Norfolk.

The former Atlanta Falcons star is serving a 23-month sentence in a federal penitentiary for bankrolling a dogfighting ring in rural Virginia and is scheduled to be released on July 20.

Once the NFL’s highest-paid player, Vick has assets of $16 million and liabilities of $20.4 million, according to the court filing in which attorneys wrote in extraordinary detail about Vick’s dizzying financial mess — listing a fleet of vehicles, properties, businesses and the extended family he supported.

A Vick attorney said a committee representing all his debtors has proposed a plan to pay off his debt. A judge scheduled a hearing for mid-December on the appointment of a trustee, which Vick’s attorneys oppose.

“The committee attorney acknowledged that there’s been a lot of progress, so we’re hopeful,” Peter R. Ginsberg told The Associated Press.

Vick still faces two state felony counts — dogfighting and animal cruelty. They carry maximum prison terms of 10 years, but under a plea deal, Vick would serve a suspended sentence and a year of probation.

He is scheduled to appear in Surry County Circuit Court on Nov. 25.

Paul K. Campsen, another Vick attorney in the bankruptcy proceeding, said he had not had any contact with the NFL, nor had Vick. While Vick still has a contract with the Falcons, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would have the final say on his return, which he is counting on after he is released.

“That’s the hope,” Campsen said in an interview. “I think efforts will be made once we get past this.”

The attorneys laid out a payment plan to Vick’s creditors that includes expected NFL earnings and possible signing bonuses.

Campsen said the reorganization plan involves those expected payments and liquidation of his larger assets.

The assets include four homes in Virginia and Georgia valued at a total of $6 million; an interest in two farms; and an interest in more than 20 businesses, from a horse farm to liquor stores.

Ginsberg said if the sides can’t agree in December, another hearing will be held in January. Vick was ordered to attend.
 

MICHAEL VICK’S LATEST BANKRUPTCY FILINGS

Below is a detailed two-page statement that lists the imprisoned quarterback payments to lawyers, relatives and the mothers of his children and creditors that were included in filings with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court charting how he spent $17.7 million over the last two years.