Irish still interested in Golden
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
December 15, 2004

When Charlie Weis was introduced as the football coach at Notre Dame on Monday he failed to elaborate on how he would fill out his coaching staff.

Several publications, however, have done the speculating for him. The Chicago Sun-Times and the Boston Globe both reported that Virginia defensive coordinator Al Golden is likely to join Weis’s staff in South Bend, Ind.

“Well, without getting into the particulars of names, let’s say that that process is already in place, and I think that the first foundation has got to take place is, you always have to take care of some main issues,” said Weis during his press conference on Monday. “So that ball is already rolling, because obviously I’m well aware that the sooner you can get those things in place, the easier my job is going to be in the short time frame while I’m wearing these two hats.”

Weis will continue to serve as the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots until the season is completed.

Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage did not confirm nor deny Tuesday that Notre Dame had asked for permission to talk to Golden.

“Notre Dame would have to speak to the topic of whether someone is a candidate for their staff,” Littlepage said Tuesday via email. “They might choose for this info to be confidential, so it is best for them to make the determination about making public statements.”

ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Lemming reported on Tuesday that UVa coach Al Groh had been asked and allowed Notre Dame to speak with Golden.

Groh was not available for comment late Tuesday as the Cavaliers practiced in preparation for a contest with Fresno State in the MPC Computers Bowl on Dec. 27. Like all of Groh’s assistant coaches, Golden is off limits to the media.

Groh did speak on CavTalk, a weekly radio broadcast out of Richmond, on Tuesday night and said that things would work themselves out in the coming days, although he did not mention a specific situation.

Golden may not be the only Virginia coach headed to Notre Dame.

Reports from the Chicago Sun-Times indicated that if Golden accepted a position on the Irish staff, Mark D’Onofrio, Virginia’s special teams/tight ends coach and Mike London, the Cavaliers’ recruiting coordinator could follow.

According to the report, other likely candidates include former Notre Dame player Mike Heywood, the recruiting coordinator at Texas, and Andy Heck, a Notre Dame graduate who is on the coaching staff of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Heck coached at Virginia under Groh from 2001 to 2003.

Golden is in his fourth year as Virginia’s defensive coordinator. Under his tutelage, Virginia’s defense has improved every year.

The Cavaliers went from being ranked No. 74 in scoring defense in 2001 to being ranked No. 11 in the country when the regular season ended this year.

Littlepage said he was pleased with the job of Golden and the other assistant coaches on Groh’s staff.

“Coach Golden has helped put together a top performing defensive system,” Littlepage said. “I do feel Al has assembled a strong staff that has delivered in recruiting, attention to individual personal development and player development. I am pleased with the contributions each staff member has made as coaches with the football program and as colleagues within the University.”

'Hall' of fame
Gretna standout headed for U.Va. is the No. 1 QB in VHSL history
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Dec 15, 2004

One for the ages
Vicqual Hall, who led Gretna to its second consecutive state Group AA, Division 3 title last weekend in Lynchburg, put up numbers in his storied prep career that few quarterbacks - in Virginia or any other state - have matched. Hall, a University of Virginia recruit, will leave Gretna in 2005 ranked fifth all-time nationally in total offense.

The top 10:
1. Ben Mauk (1999-2002) 19,628 yds
2. Chris Leak (1999-2002) 16,590
3. J.R. House (1995-98) 14,710
4. Ken Hall (1950-53) 14,558
5. Vicqual Hall (2001-04) 13,751
6. Romaro Miller (1993-96) 12,315
7. Ernest Tinnin (1990-93) 12,310
8. Josh Booty (1990-93) 12,105
9. Dave Garcia (1983-86) 11,604
10. Ron Cuccia (1975-77) 11,451

In the locker room at Liberty University's Williams Stadium, long after the state Group AA, Division 3 football final had ended Saturday, reality hit Vicqual Hall the way few defenders ever have.

"It was my last game ever playing high school football for Gretna in that uniform," Hall said. "It felt great to win, but at the same time it was kind of sad."

Gretna's opponents won't be sad to see the 5-10, 175-pound senior move on to the University of Virginia. The Hawks have been virtually unbeatable since Hall joined the varsity as a freshman. He went 47-5 as a starter at Gretna, yet never seemed to consider himself particularly special, even if those around him did.

"He's just a laid-back kid," Gretna coach Rob Senseney said.

Hall, who committed to U.Va. in October 2003, also is the most productive quarterback in Virginia High School League history, a distinction held by former Hampton High great Ronald Curry until this season. With 13,751 yards of career total offense - 8,725 passing and 5,026 rushing - Hall ranks fifth nationally in that category, behind, among others, Chris Leak, now Florida's quarterback.

The Hawks went 11-1 in 2001, 8-4 in '02, 14-0 in '03 and 14-0 this season. Their 28th consecutive victory, like most games in that streak, wasn't close. Gretna whipped Poquoson 40-14 to secure its second straight Division 3 title.

"What more could you ask for than ending your high school career with a state championship?" said Hall, a good student who has met NCAA eligibility standards.

Before a raucous crowd that appeared to include most residents of Gretna, a small town between Lynchburg and Danville, Hall dazzled one last time for a program that, not so long ago, suffered through a 44-game losing streak.

Against Poquoson, Hall carried 17 times for 209 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 142 yards and two TDs and wasn't intercepted. Afterward, it seemed, everybody wanted a piece of the all-Group AA performer. Somebody even swiped his helmet in the mob scene on the field, though Hall later got it back.

Surrounded by scores of well-wishers, Hall patiently posed for photos and signed autograph after autograph.

"I don't like being in the spotlight," he said, "but it feels good to know you've got people who want to come and watch the team play."

Even though he rarely played a full game this season, Hall put up numbers that border on the unbelievable. He rushed 174 times for 1,982 yards and 26 touchdowns. He completed 165 of 259 passes for 2,851 yards and 39 TDs, with only six interceptions. He caught two passes for 38 yards, ran back a kickoff 38 yards and returned an interception 30 yards.

For his career, Hall threw 104 touchdown passes, a VHSL record. He also holds career records in the state for total offense and passing yardage. He's shorter than most Division I-A quarterbacks, but he's been blessed with an astonishingly strong arm and shows uncommon touch on his passes.

Hall, who goes by "Vic," knows that many people question his height, but he said it's "not all about size. I'm not sure what college coaches are looking for, but I'm pretty sure it's not all about size."

Hall played tailback until his eighth-grade year, when then-Gretna coach Robert Prunty moved him to QB on the junior varsity. A year later, Hall didn't take long to impress in workouts with the varsity.

On the first day of practice in 2001, Prunty recalled, Hall "blew by everybody. You got seniors, and the seniors can't keep up with a freshman."

Senseney came to Gretna from Waynesboro High in 2002 after Prunty took over the postgraduate team at Hargrave Military Academy. Senseney remembers that "a lot of people kept telling me and telling me that [Hall] was the greatest thing at quarterback. I was a little skeptical till I saw it with my own eyes."

In the end, U.Va. may choose to play Hall somewhere other than quarterback; perhaps defensive back or wideout. But those who followed Hall's career al Gretna believe his lack of height won't keep from from playing - and starring at - his favorite position.

"It's going to be hard to keep Vic Hall from playing quarterback," Prunty said. "Vic is a natural quarterback."

 

ACC NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Dec 15, 2004

STATUS UNCERTAIN: Virginia Tech isn't sure if sophomore forward Coleman Collins will be available Sunday when the Hokies open ACC play at home against fifth-ranked North Carolina.

Collins had surgery on his left foot this past Sunday to remove a cyst that Tech coach Seth Greenberg said was "about the size of one of those little onions you put in a martini." Collins also had a screw removed that had been placed there during a surgical procedure last year.

"The biggest thing right now is we have to see how it heals," Greenberg said. "If there's any discomfort, I'm not playing him. There's 20-some other games."

Besides missing Collins, Tech will be without sophomore guard Jamon Gordon for a couple of practices this week. He has to return home because of a death in the family. Gordon, who missed Tech's victory over James Madison this past Saturday with an elbow injury, will be back for the UNC game.
Capital

Tech (5-2) is in finals this week.

"This is not the perfect practice week," Greenberg said.

QUOTABLE: "If this was a horse race, they should have to wear a couple of extra weights. They're as efficient offensively as anyone I have seen in a long time." - Greenberg on the Tar Heels.

WELL-GUARDED: Two days after upsetting Connecticut, Massachusetts was walloped by Miami 80-53 on Sunday. Hurricanes guards Rob Hite, Guillermo Diaz and Anthony Harris combined for 54 points and hit 13 of 20 shots from 3-point range.

"Those three guards are terrific. That's as good a three as you'll see," UMass coach Steve Lappas told the Miami Herald. "They all can dribble, shoot and pass. They're all very athletic."

Said Miami coach Frank Haith to the Herald, "I don't want to jinx our guards, but they're playing great."

GOOD AS ADVERTISED: A month into the season, the ACC has done nothing to damage its reputation as the nation's premier conference. In the latest Associated Press poll, the ACC has four of the top seven teams: No. 3 Georgia Tech, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 6 Wake Forest and No. 7 Duke. N.C. State is No. 12, and Maryland and Virginia are Nos. 23 and 24, respectively.

HOMECOMING OF SORTS: Georgia Tech plays host to James Madison tonight, and the head coaches will need no introduction. JMU's first-year coach, Dean Keener, was an assistant to Paul Hewitt for four seasons before taking over in Harrisonburg.

ON THE MARK: The league's top 3-pointer shooter? Many who follow the ACC would name Duke guard J.J. Redick. But the former Cave Spring High star hasn't been nearly as accurate this season as North Carolina swingman Rashad McCants.

McCants, who like Redick is a junior, has connected on 27 of 49 attempts from beyond the arc, a staggering 55.1 percent. Heading into Duke's game against Illinois-Chicago last night, Redick was 17 for 45 on 3-pointers (37.8 percent).

No one in the ACC has made more treys than Miami's Hite, who's 28 of 54 from long range. Hite also leads the conference in scoring (21.4 ppg).

IRON MEN: Seven players are averaging at least 15 minutes apiece for Virginia, and an eighth, freshman forward Adrian Joseph, is at 9.6. No other Cavaliers, however, average as many as 4 minutes.

"We've got to expand our bench," U.Va. coach Pete Gillen said. "We're playing eight now, and hopefully we can get to nine or 10."

The player most likely to join the Cavs' rotation is 6-8 sophomore Donte Minter, who started three games and averaged 5.6 points last season. Minter dislocated the patella in his right knee in late September and has been working his way back into shape.

"We're going to need him," Gillen said. "He's a good player."

ATTRITION IN COLLEGE PARK: Maryland's roster is one player smaller after the departure of reserve center Hassan Fofana. The 6-10, 288-pound sophomore, a product of Hargrave Military Academy's postgraduate program, improved late in his freshman season and had 10 rebounds in a game against Virginia. Bothered by a bad back, Fofana hadn't played much this season.

"Why do players leave? Because they're not playing," Maryland coach Gary Williams told The Washington Times. "Nowadays players want to play right away. Sometimes it's a positive thing for the player to get a fresh start. . . . It could [have an impact], but we have plenty of inside players."

UNDERACHIEVING: Florida State was picked to finish seventh in the ACC, one spot ahead of Virginia. The Cavaliers are 7-1. The Seminoles are 4-4 after losing 65-60 on Sunday to Florida International, which was a 24-point underdog.

"We made enough poor decisions tonight to last us a season," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton told the Tallahassee Democrat. - Mike Harris and Jeff White
 

Gator-Big East on shaky ground
Jack Bogaczyk
Daily Mail Sports Editor
Monday December 13, 2004

The Big East Conference's future with the Gator Bowl isn't potentially shaky through speculation.

It's official.

The Gator Bowl trustees, at a meeting Thursday night, instructed bowl President Rick Catlett to "explore all possibilities" on conference affiliations, Catlett said.

The Jacksonville, Fla., New Year's Day game's contracts with the Big East and Atlantic Coast conferences expire after next season.

West Virginia and Florida State meet in the 60th Gator Bowl on Jan. 1 at Alltel Stadium. That will be the 10th straight Gator with an ACC-Big East matchup, although Notre Dame has filled the Big East berth twice during the stretch.

Catlett made it clear that the football-rebuilding Big East's future with the game hinges on continued -- and enhanced -- Gator access to the Fighting Irish.

The Gator, through the Jan. 1, 2006 game, has the No. 2 selections (after the Bowl Championship Series slots are filled) from the ACC and Big East. The contracts with title sponsor Toyota, NBC television and the two conferences expire after that game.

"Not long after this upcoming game, we'll sit down and start talking with the two conferences," Catlett said. "We'd like to stay with the ACC. It's been a good relationship with the Big East, and I'll meet with (Big East Commissioner) Mike Tranghese and we'll talk about everything."

The Gator Bowl also has a two-year contract with the ACC to stage the new conference football championship game at Alltel, beginning next season.

On the Big East side, Notre Dame -- a football independent that plays other sports in the Big East -- has given the conference a trump card in bowl deals. The Gator can take the Fighting Irish twice in four years, in lieu of a Big East team.

There also is a "one-win rule" that prohibits the Gator from taking Notre Dame over a Big East team with more than one victory more than the Fighting Irish.

The Big East loss of Miami (Fla.), Virginia Tech and Boston College to the ACC, followed by the addition of Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida for 2005 (following Connecticut's football entry this season), has changed the Big East profile.

"The Big East is not the same animal," Catlett said. "To us, the biggest loss (for the Big East) isn't Miami, it's Virginia Tech (and its large fan following to bowls). You're adding Louisville, which has a good team and is building, but Cincinnati and South Florida aren't traditional football names.

"So the Big East has been slightly weakened in the process. In our eyes, keeping Notre Dame in the mix is the key to putting together their future bowl agreements.

"I'd say that additional access to Notre Dame for the Gator Bowl is crucial in the Big East continuing discussion with us."

Catlett wouldn't go into potential particulars on the Gator negotiating stance, but it could ask to relax the "two in four" to three in four or an annual shot at ND, or request the elimination of the one-win rule.

While in New York last week for the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame dinner, Catlett had preliminary discussions with NBC on a contract renewal. NBC has a contract to televise Notre Dame home football games through 2010, at $9 million annually.

Catlett said the Gator, after discussions with its two incumbent conferences, will talk with the Big Ten, Southeastern and Big XII conferences about potential affiliation. The Gator Bowl chief said the Pacific-10, because of geography, is the only BCS conference that doesn't interest the Gator. However, if the Gator -- the nation's sixth-oldest bowl -- hopes to retain a matchup of conference No. 2 selections, it likely will have to juice its guaranteed per-team payout from $1.6 million.

Among second-tier bowls (behind the four BCS games), the Gator ranks only sixth in team payouts, behind the Capital One ($5.19 million), Cotton ($3 million), Outback ($2.75 million), Peach ($2.2 million) and Holiday ($2 million).

The Alamo ($1.55 million) ranks just behind the Gator, and its current matchup has Nos. 4 from the Big Ten 4 and Big XII.