Running back Jason Snelling and the Cavaliers have two more open practices before the Spring Game.

The Virginia football team's spring practice period is steamrolling through April and just two open practices remain. Fans can catch the Cavaliers in action on Saturday, April 8 at 1:15 p.m. (tomorrow!) and Friday, April 14 at 4 p.m. Of course, the Spring Game is also open to the public. It is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aprill 22 with the fan-friendly Spring Festival set to open at 1:30 p.m.

So far in spring practice, Christian Olsen is taking snaps as the No. 1 quarterback and he has looked the most accurate in the Cavaliers' offense. At running back. Jason Snelling looks strong and there appears to be good depth with Cedric Peerman, Michael Johnson, and Mikell Simpson. The Hoos are also loaded at wide receiver and tight end, while several new faces are working at the offensive line positions.

On defense, Chris Long and Marcus Hamilton have looked like veterans, but some new faces are making some noise as well. Linebackers Clint Sintim and Antonio Appleby are leading that group, while Vic Hall, Chris Cook, and Byron Glaspy all have drawn attention in the secondary. On the defensive frontline, Keenan Carter and Allen Billyk are holding down the nose tackle slot while Alex Field is getting reps at defensive end.

The best way to keep up with everything that's happening with spring football and Virginia athletics is to subscribe to the Sabre Edge. Sabre Edge Info and Sign Up

Staff Report
TheSabre.com

Football recruiting .

Saturday is a big day as far as UVa football recruiting is concerned. First off, the staff has invited all of the 2006 class signees to Charlottesville for a "welcoming" event. We spoke with Deep Creek standouts OL Billy Cuffee and DB/WR Ras-I Dowling earlier this week, and Cuffee said he may not make it while Dowling will definitely not be in attendance. Wakefield (NC) defensive tackle Gavin Smith will be in attendance, with most of the rest of the class will probably be there as well.

In terms of 2007 recruits, we know the ones who have been offered have been invited. The ones who we have confirmed will be there include UVa commitments LB Jared Detrick, DB Dominique Joseph and RB Max Milien; and targets including Matoaca WR Kris Burd (possibility), Teaneck (N.J.) LB Randy Martinez and Stone Bridge OL Andrew Nuss.

Stay tuned over the weekend as we will provide updates on this weekend's events.

Academically, Cuffee feels confident that he has completed the necessary work to attain qualification standards but he will take the SAT again soon. Dowling recently took the SAT and says he has a little ground to make up on the test before he will have attained the qualification standards. He says his GPA is in good shape.

The 6-5, 320-pound Cuffee definitely plans on attending UVa's spring game, while the 6-2, 185-pound Dowling plans to be at practice next Saturday. Recently, Dowling and his teammates captured the Nike Indoor Nationals 4X200 relay championship title.

Basketball recruiting .

Point guard Sammy Zeglinski led Penn Charter (Philadelphia, PA) to an 18-11 overall record including an 8-2 mark in the Inter-ac league, finishing second overall in the league to powerhouse Episcopal. Zeglinski, a junior who verbally committed to UVa last fall, averaged 19 points, 5 assists and 3 steals on the year.

Zeglinski went over the 1,000-point mark for his career this season, but his coach says everyone may see a different type of player on the next level. Penn Charter head coach Jim Phillips says Zeglinski is more of a pass-first point guard who would much rather dish the ball to his teammates than be the primary scorer.

Zeglinski has worked hard on his physique and has grown some as well. He is now a little over 6-1 and weighs in at close to 185 pounds.

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License Plate Gallery for Wahoowa Section

Don't forget, the Sabre is looking for your UVa-related license plates! We're collecting photos of any Sabre users' plates that have Cavalier-related themes on their tags. (Take H8Tech for instance, who obviously is not a VT supporter!) We'll start the photo gallery in the Wahoowa section of the site once we get enough plates to start us off.

All you need to do is snap a picture of your license plate and email it to [email protected] with the header: License Plate Photo. If you have a really cool ride (I don't know, maybe Xzibit pimped it for you) and want to include a photo of you with your car and plates, that's cool too.

We'll let you know about the gallery once it gets started!

Hot Topics

One of this week's hot-button issues concerned recruiting tactics. It appears that a large amount of schools use sports columnists' opinions as part of their recruiting mail. For instance, CollegeFootballNews.com produced an opinion piece that listed Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer as the ACC's best coach, while also calling Virginia's Al Groh and N.C. State's Chuck Amato the most overrated coaches in the league. Apparently, such statements are reproduced on recruiting mailings at various schools, which set off a message board debate about recruiting tactics.

A few select posts on the matter:

Subject: My two cents (short version: it's no big deal) ......
Posted by: zeropointzero on Wed Apr 5 2006 2:06:32 PM
Message: .... I'm not really bothered by this kind of negative recruiting. I would hope that most kids see it as one more thing to take with a grain of salt in the recruiting process. To whatever degree the Hoos do it - I hope it is at least factual, above-board, and not smarmy or deceitful in any way.

My guess is that Tech (or anyone) does something like this mainly to get under Al's skin - and less so to actually influence players.

Finally - I'm sure there's a lot more seamy negative recruiting that is "direct from coach's mouth to player's ear" and not put down on paper (mainly because it's either vicious, a misrepresentation, or an outright falsehood). I'll bet there is some negative recruiting going on related to perceptions of UVa as a stoner-laden team, or a place that can't keep kids eligible. We're probably doing similar stuff to some degree about Tech's program as "out of control" and one incident away from getting Frank ousted.

**************************************************************************************

Subject: From that account, it seems as though it would have been very easy to include
Posted by: WAYoVerraTed on Wed Apr 5 2006 12:10:34 PM
Message: only the 'Best Coach' segment and leave out the 'Most Overrated' one. It seems on par with what we apparently(?) did with a previous collegefootballnews.com article. I think it was said that the source text we used for our mailing consisted of our praises mixed in with hokie slams, making it hard to edit. To me, the difference between their mailing and our mailing seems like splitting hairs. I would prefer we didn't mention our competition at all during the recruting process. Sell us, as a whole.

**************************************************************************************

Subject: UVa did a similiar things with the "studs" and "Duds" after the 2003 season
Posted by: Hokies&Skins on Wed Apr 5 2006 12:00:02 PM
Message: UVa was a "stud" because you all had completed a better than expected season and received praise. VT was a "dud" because they had finished another end of the season slide..

The UVA recruiting (postcard/flyer) had both of the quotes on there. They were both from the same article.... fox/collegefootballnews think) but UVa didnt include any other studs or duds (others were listed). Did not chose to format it with just a quote. (Do you really think if VT had been praised it would have been sent that way?)

Recuiting is a competitive sport. VT has, apparently, done much the same thing....by citing the negative quotes of others concerning Coach Groh and Amato.

I agree with you though....if I were a recruit...it would (personally) turn me off. (But...as we know from politics...negative ads work)

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Want to weigh in? The start of the thread can be found on the Football Message Board.

UVA Bookstores' You Pick Em Contest

Lacrosse fans, don't miss a chance to participate in UVA Bookstores' You Pick Em Contest. The game is simple: The first contestant who picks the winner and comes closest to predicting the final score of the next men's lacrosse game wins. In case of ties, the earliest entry will be awarded the prize.

Get the complete rules and enter this week's contest at UVabookstores.com.

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

Tiffany Sardin

• Sardin, Zoll, & Littles Named Best in 2006: Virginia honored its players at the 23rd Annual Women's Basketball Awards Banquet on Thursday evening at Bryant Hall. Earning the team's coveted Cavalier of the Year award was senior Tiffany Sardin, who was also presented the Best Offensive Player Award. The three-time team captain also shared the Leadership Award and was recognized for leading the team in rebounding (6.8 rpg).
• Cavalier Men's Tennis Concludes Home Schedule This Weekend: The Cavaliers conclude the home portion of their 2006 schedule this weekend as they host a pair of top 25 foes in Miami and Florida State. Virginia is the lone undefeated team in the ACC with a 7-0 conference mark after a win at Maryland Wednesday.
• Men's Lacrosse Game vs. Duke Cancelled: The Virginia's men's lacrosse game against Duke scheduled for April 15 will not be played as a result of the Duke's recent announcement to cancel the remainder of its season.
• Cavalier Women's Soccer To Play Washington Freedom Sunday on National TV: The Virginia women's soccer program will play the Washington Freedom Reserves in the showcase match of the Kicks for Breast Cancer Tournament Sunday April 9 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md. The game will begin at 5:00 p.m. and will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel.
• Virginia Softball Continues ACC Play By Hosting Florida State: For the second consecutive weekend, the University of Virginia softball team hosts an Atlantic Coast Conference three-game series as Florida State visits The Park. The series starts Saturday (Apr. 8) with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
• No. 18 Virginia Heads to Duke For Its Third Road ACC Series: No. 18 Virginia travels to Durham, N.C. for a three-game series with the Duke as the Cavs try to put together a winning streak. Virginia shut out in-state foe Richmond, 5-0, Wednesday to snap a three-game losing skid.
• Virginia Rowers to Host Michigan State at Rivanna Reservoir: The No. 6 Virginia women's rowers host No. 12 Michigan State on Saturday, April 8 at the Rivanna Reservoir in the team's only home event of the season. The regatta is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with the novice eight competition. The varsity four will compete at 9:20 a.m., followed by the second varsity eight at 9:40 a.m. The varsity eight will finish the competition with a 10 a.m. start time.

Fore more information on Virignia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Sabre articles from the past week

At The Center Of Attention
It sounds like a scene straight out of a Visa commercial. There they were, the five layers of protection - Virginia's offensive line - traveling around town and spending time together. There was no Tom Brady figure for the Cavaliers to follow around, however. Ian-Yates Cunningham and his fellow linemen were just looking to get to know each other better so that they would be more prepared to play together this fall.

Williams Still Looking To Improve
The Jamaican folk tune The Banana Boat Song is well known for its chorus: "Day-o, Day-o; Daylight come and we want-a go home." A slight modification could be made for all those Cavalier fans starting a fan club for receiver Deyon Williams: "Dey-on, Dey-on; Daylight come and he want-a go long." After all, the senior had a breakout year last season and he's expecting even bigger things to come.

Around the Horn: Challenging April Starts Slowly
The Virginia baseball team had a rough start to April with a disappointing set of games at N.C. State. But Coach Brian O'Connor isn't ready to hit the panic button because of the challenging nature of the ACC and his team's youth. Still, the Cavaliers want to get back on track, starting with a game today at Richmond.

Hall Happy To Be On The Field
Vic Hall set countless state records as a quarterback at Gretna High and was ranked the ninth-best signal caller in the country for the 2004 season by SuperPrep. But he doesn't think of himself as a quarterback as much as a football player. "A football player just likes to play football no matter what position he plays, he just likes to play football," Hall said.

Photo Gallery: Spring Football Practice
The Virginia football team kicked off spring practice last Wednesday and has been rolling through sessions since. Some of the players getting a lot of snaps include quarterback Christian Olsen, running back Jason Snelling, receiver Deyon Williams! Check out photos from the weekend practices in this photo gallery.

Too Early To Tell
As the Virginia football team rolls into its fifth practice of the spring, it could be easy to fall into the trap of drawing long-term conclusions about the team. So, who's starting at linebacker? Oh, so and so will. It looks like such and such will start at center. What about the defensive line? The starting defensive ends will be person one and person two. Don't count the coaching staff among those trying to figure it all out immediately.

Last Ball in U-Hall: Walker Was Wonderful
With the NCAA Tournament wrapping up tonight, the Sabre's Last Ball in U-Hall Series, which will continue through the opening of the John Paul Jones Arena, features Wally Walker. Thanks to a Walker-led ACC Tournament run, the Cavaliers made their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1976, which helped propel the UVa program to more postseason success. Thanks to that postseason run and his great play throughout his career, Walker earned the nickname "Wonderful" while playing for the Cavaliers.

Action Heating Up At Spring Practice
The Virginia football team held another marathon practice session Sunday afternoon, clocking in at approximately 2.5 hours. This came on the heels of what was nearly a 3-hour session on Saturday. One note of concern was Eugene Monroe, a sophomore tackle.

Cavaliers Go To Full Pads At Practice
After opening practice on Wednesday, the Virginia football team held its first practice in full pads on Saturday. The session lasted nearly 3 hours and moved at quick pace with position drills, head-to-head competitions between the offense and defense, and scrimmage-style situations all on the docket. The Cavaliers worked on individual skills, team drills, special teams scenarios, and more.

Culver Helps Lead Overshadowed Defense
When pressed, Michael Culver will admit that he believes the Virginia defense doesn't get the recognition it deserves. But you'll never hear him complaining about it. "I don't really care," the senior captain says. "We're big ugly defensemen and they can give all the credit to the guys scoring lots of goals." Culver takes a good deal of pride in the blue-collar nature of his position on the Virginia lacrosse team. Joined in the back by Matt Kelly and Ricky Smith along with longstick midfielder Chris Ourisman and goalie Kip Turner, the "big, ugly defensemen" have shut down opponents

5 Good Reasons That Olsen's The Right Pick
When Al Groh held his pre-spring practice press conference Tuesday, I hardly anticipated him naming Christian Olsen as the No. 1 quarterback. Very few people did. There had been speculation early in the offseason that Olsen wouldn't even be back for a fifth year. Besides that, Jameel Sewell had been gaining straw poll momentum as the position's rising star.

Best Seat in the House: Terry Holland
Certainly the story of this year's NCAA Tournament has been the run of George Mason, an 11 seed now in the Final Four. The Patriots have knocked off Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State, and Connecticut so far in an incredible tourney run that has captured the heart of the nation. Of course, GMU is coached by Jim Larranaga, a former Virginia assistant. Terry Holland, Larranaga's long-time friend and UVa's head coach at the time, sat down with Jed Williams on the Best Seat in the House (make sure to catch the show at 6 p.m. on Charlottesville's 1070 AM) to talk about some of his Larranaga memories.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

Fleming Has Plenty of Options
C.J. Fleming had an excellent junior season for Highland Springs and was no doubt one of the most important pieces in the Springers' district title run and subsequent playoff berth. A Richmond Times-Dispatch first-team all-metro performer at cornerback, the 5-11, 175-pound standout finished with 39 tackles, had 8 pass break-ups and 6 interceptions.

Burd Eyeing an Early Decision
Two local programs are starting to turn up the heat with Matoaca (Chesterfield, VA) WR/DB Kris Burd. The 6-1, 180-pound Burd, who now says he could have a decision as early as this spring, is hoping to line up April visits to those two programs as well as another. The University of Virginia continues to be the leader for Burd, but Maryland and Virginia Tech do appear to be coming on strong.

Nuss Lands Two New Offers
6-6, 285-pound Stone Bridge (Ashburn, VA) offensive line recruit Andrew Nuss has had a busy spring off the field in efforts to have a decision made before the start of his senior season. With his scholarship offer number continuing to grow, it's a decision that seems to be getting tougher and tougher. Nuss is currently working hard to attain a qualifying standardized test score, which is what he's been working towards this spring. He took the SAT last Saturday and will take the ACT this Saturday.

Deep Creek Standouts Prepare for UVa
Since signing letters of intent with the University of Virginia in February, Deep Creek (Chesapeake, VA) talents Billy Cuffee and Ras-I Dowling have each worked hard in the classroom in order to meet the necessary academic requirements. And each has done well athletically as well, with Cuffee preparing to get to Virginia and the versatile Dowling performing very well in other sports.

LB Randy Martinez to Visit Virginia
Randy Martinez will be a 3-year starter for Teaneck (N.J.) and head coach Dennis Heck. Two of the three will be as captain of the team, a feat Heck says "doesn't happen very often here." But the 6-2, 245-pound Martinez is up to the challenge and is up to another challenge as well - moving to the middle linebacker position after playing last season as a defensive lineman.

South Carolina's Top Prospect?
With 14 Division 1A offers including Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, South Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech, among others, 6-2, 205-pound Conway (S.C.) wide receiver Junior Hemingway is certainly looking like one of the top prospects in his state and even the region. What makes this talented athlete such a hot commodity?

Robinson Has UVa Offer
Virginia is one of four schools to officially offer Somerville (N.J.) standout Mason Robinson. Robinson, a very fast player who excels in the 100 meters in track and field, excelled on both sides of the ball last season for head coach Kevin Carty and is the type of player who could help a program in a variety of areas on the next level.

UVa, VT Serious About Matthews
Following two very productive seasons - including a 96-tackle, 4-sack sophomore season and an 82-tackle, 5-fumble recovery and 5-sack junior season - Tolbert Matthews is one of the top linebackers in the 2007 class in the state of Virginia. And he is drawing heavy interest from both 1A state programs as well as a handful of out-of-state schools.

Zeglinski Produces Wherever Needed
Sam Zeglinski has certainly shown his scoring capabilities for William Penn Charter School (Philadelphia, PA). After averaging 18 points-per-game in his sophomore season, he averaged about 19 points per game this season and went over the 1,000-point mark for his career. Zeglinski is needed more as a scoring point guard for his high school team, but his coach feels you'll see a different type of player at the University of Virginia.

Every week, Sabre Edge provides you with exclusive articles, columns, special features, interviews and recruiting news, including daily recruiting updates. There's even a special message board just for subscribers. And to top it off, you get 10 percent off all of your UVa Bookstores purchases during your subscription.

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