Other Sports Provide Sunshine In The Fall

The Virginia football team is off to a disappointing 1-2 start in 2006 and Saturday's Homecoming loss to Western Michigan took the remaining wind out of optimism's sail. Things could be worse, though. At least UVa's other fall sports teams are playing well so far this season.

On the soccer field, the men's team has risen to No. 1 in the latest Soccer America poll. The Hoos have started 7-0-0 and they are unbeaten and untied in ACC play with two wins. The Cavalier women, meanwhile, have gotten off to a good start as well with a 5-2-1 start - one loss and one tie came in overtime games on the road.

Over on the field hockey field, Virginia has made its way into the top 10 for first-year coach Michele Madison. The Cavaliers are 6-1 on the season after they knocked off No. 4 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. In cross country, both the men's and women's teams opened the season with No. 26 national rankings. That comes on the heels of a season where the men were the ACC Champions and the women qualifed for the NCAA Championships. The volleyball team is 7-3 on the season as well.

So, if you're struggling with the dark clouds that appear to be dancing around Scott Stadium these days, take a moment to enjoy the other teams around the Grounds. After all, Virginia fans should take pride in the fact that the school is not a one-trick pony in athletics.

Kris Wright
TheSabre.com
Editor

Football recruiting ...

Kris Burd

On Sunday, Kris Burd of Matoaca became the latest prospect to commit to the Hoos. The 6-1, 185-pound prospect, rated the 25th overall player in the state by TheSabre.com, chose Virginia over an offer from the University of Maryland.

A very good pick-up for the staff, Burd is being recruited initially as a wide receiver. He caught 44 passes last season as a junior and is off to a terrific start in 2006, having caught 10 passes for more than 200 yards and two scores in two games (which were two wins for the Warriors).

Check out Burd's comments on his decision on the Sabre EDGE. And you can check out junior video clips on his Sabre recruiting card.

Burd's commitment gives UVa 19 players in total for the 2007 recruiting class. So where does the staff go from here? Stay tuned for the first War Room for the 2007 class, which will be released later this week. The War Room is an overall look at the 2007 class, including a summary of the commitments and remaining needs/targets in the class.

The UVa staff is also likely to extend more scholarship offers in the near future as senior film is now becoming available. TheSabre.com will continue to produce articles on the latest prospects to make the target board as well as the targets already on board.

Basketball recruiting .

I caught up with Hargrave Military Head Coach Kevin Keatts, who provides an update on current UVa commitment Eric Wallace and UVa power forward target Mike Scott.

Wallace, a 6-6, 230-pound small forward prospect, is impressing with his character and work ethic.

Scott is an athletic 6-8, 225-pound prospect. Scott signed with Temple last year out of Deep Creek High School but decided to re-open his recruitment following the departure of Head Coach John Chaney. UVa Head Coach Dave Leitao recently made a visit to Hargrave and came away impressed with Scott's potential.

Chris Horne, our resident recruiting expert, provides updates throughout the week for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please check out the Sabre Edge Sign Up and Information Page. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

State Top 30 Player Commits
Despite yesterday's loss to Western Michigan, the UVa football program keeps rolling along on the recruiting trail. Today, Head Coach Al Groh scored another good commitment for the 2007 class as three-star Matoaca WR Kris Burd pledged to the Hoos. At 6-1, 185 pounds, Burd plays wide receiver and safety for the Warriors. He committed Sunday during a phone conversation with Coach Mike Groh.

Five-Star Center Visits UVa
7-1, 224-pound Montverde Academy (FL) star Solomon Alabi made his official visit to the University of Virginia this past weekend and came away with a favorable impression of the 'Hoos according to Montverde Academy Head Coach Kevin Sutton. Coach Sutton talks about Alabi's experience and how good a chance the 'Hoos have with his star player.

Also from the past week ...

• UVa Still on Top for Standout DT?
• Tukes Receives Offer from UVa
• Is UVa Still in the Race for Nwankwo?
• Henrico Teammates Visit UVa
• Hampton Names Three Favorites
• Wiser Enjoys UVa Experience

Glenmore Country Club, nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains just outside Charlottesville, is one of the most beautiful places in the Commonwealth. Just ask Al Groh, who lives there. But you don't have to be a resident (or a football coach) to enjoy what Glenmore has to offer.

Become a corporate or non-resident member and enjoy golf on its 18-hole, par-72 championship course designed by architect John LaFoy. Treat your employees or clients to a round they won't forget. Or host a fundraising tournament there.

While you're at it, how about holding your next board meeting in the Pinnacle Room at Glenmore? Enjoy lunch and an afternoon round of golf. Please check out Glenmore's Web site to learn more about all their great services.

Thank you for actively supporting the sponsors of TheSabre.com. Sponsorships are a critical component of our business and sponsors' success will permit us to continually improve our services to you, our community.

Thread of the Week

The Corner message board was a moving place to read posts one week ago today. Many posters shared memories and thoughts from Sept. 11, 2001. There were numerous threads - these select posts are part of one of the longer threads. You can read the entire thread here.

Subject: 9/11/2001. A moment of silence, then a question: Where were you?
Posted by: Vandy-Hoo on Mon Sep 11 2006 11:02:02 AM
Message: At the time, I was at work in downtown D.C. in my cube of an interior office (no windows, almost closer sized). First news of a plane hitting a tower (I thought, had to be an accident and small private jet). Then all the news websites went down because of intense web traffic, and the news started trickling in by word of mouth. Secretaries had their radios on, phones were blowing up (cell phones were about an hour from falling off the grid), but we found a secret "backdoor" link to CNN.com and found out that Bloomberg.com was still up. Rumors of car bombs at the State Department spread like a wave in our building - I recall that rumor starting from a radio station. Work then turned on the conference room TVs - we finally got some real news and images.

The Pentagon got hit, and the city evacuated. The Metro shut down and the streets were filled - cars were gridlocked. We steered clear of federal buildings. My group decided to walk north to a co-workers house in Cleveland Park - a long trek from Metro Center. My wife (girlfriend at the time) and I miraculously were able to reconnect (she worked in Tysons) and eventually she drove to where I was. Others weren't as lucky - spouses were stranded and screaming into cell phones "Why didn't you call me!" or "Where are you?!" Others were, of course, even less lucky. We would see many on the sidewalk, relatives and friends of victims, crying silently.

Subject: Driving to work along the GW Parkway just south of the Pentagon ...
Posted by: Bucket on Mon Sep 11 2006 4:49:16 PM
Message: ...when it was hit. Rounded the bend in the road to see the building in flames, listening to reports on the radio of a bomb or possibly a helicopter blowing up (had already heard about the WTC). Cars slowed to a halt, people began to get out of their cars, staring in disbelief. I did a U-Turn through the grass median and sped back toward home in Old Town. The scariest thing was wondering what was going to come out of the sky next. It wasn't untiul I got home that I realized that I had driven the entire way back scrunching down into my seat, thinking that something was going to fall on me.

Subject: Animal Kingdom at Disney World
Posted by: CT Wahoo on Mon Sep 11 2006 3:48:33 PM
Message: It was right around noon before the park was evacuated. Nobody inside had any idea what had happened 2-3 hours prior. We were just finishing lunch when we noticed a stream of people walking in the same direction. A park employee then began going table to table telling the guests the park was being shut down and we needed to make our way to the exit. She said planes had hit the WTC and the Pentagon and that both towers were down.

People were surprisingly calm and orderly. They began evacuating from the back of the park forward and I think handled the whole thing fairly well. We had planned to spend a few days in Tampa starting that night anyhow, so we just drove there--listening to the radio reports. Wasn't until we got to the hotel that I saw the first images on TV. I just felt completely numb.

They re-opened the parks on the 13th. We went back to Disney later that week as we originally planned. There were still pretty big crowds for the rest of the week. We lived in Connecticut at the time, so we flew right over the site into LaGuardia. I still remember that vividly, as well as the drive over the Whitestone Bridge and the WTC missing from the skyline view where it was there only a week earlier.

Subject: Living in Houston at the time...my husband was getting
Posted by: hooisit? on Mon Sep 11 2006 2:20:06 PM
Message: ready to leave for work (later time zone than NY). We had the Today Show on and they were reporting that a small plane had hit the WTC...we thought that was a lot of smoke for a small plane and that would never happen on a clear day...then as they were reporting live the other tower was hit and right then we thought "we're under attack" Houston was basically in a panic due to all of the underground gas lines. They were evacuating downtown. We lived in the energy corrider so we really felt targeted. All of the parents at my son's school were rushing to get their kids out of school and the school started their emergency plan. Ironically, they had called me earlier to get him b/c he didn't feel well so he was with us at home.

I remember both of my parents calling just to hear our voices. That seemed to be what everyone wanted to do whether you lived in NY or DC or not....just hear your loved ones on the phone. Some of our friends were coming home from Paris and they were stranded outside of the country which brought a whole other range of emotions. Not being able to get back to America...and not knowing when you could return.

Sidenote: we took our kids to NYC the X-Mas before 9/11 and we took them to the WTC/Windows on the World. We were glad that they got that chance but it did add some anxiety for my older son b/c he remembered being there recently ...

Subject: Link to an article by UVA grad and his tale of survival out of the WTC
Posted by: stubbyhoo on Mon Sep 11 2006 1:46:44 PM
Message: I worked with him for 4 years at the Cavalier Daily. Pretty gripping stuff.

9/11 Survivor's Story.

UVa Bookstores' 2006 Virginia Football Pick 'Em

Pick'em is simple. The first contestant who picks the winner and comes closest to predicting the final score wins. In case of ties, the earliest entry will be awarded the prize.

Entries must be received by 12:00 a.m. EST game day. Entries received after 12:00 a.m. (midnight the night before the game) are ineligible. Limit one entry per person. The next business day following game day, UVa Bookstores will email a short note regarding the results.

For the full information or to enter, click here!

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Cavaliers Upset No. 4 UNC 2-1: The Virginia field hockey team defeated No. 4 UNC in Chapel Hill on Sunday behind goals from Biffy Cornelison and Traci Ragukas. Virginia (6-1) also got four saves from Katherine Blair.
• Women's Soccer Ties No. 6 West Virginia: After toppling Vermont on Friday, the women's soccer team tied West Virginia on Sunday in Morgantown. The tie ends the non-conference portion of the schedule and the Cavaliers' record is 5-2-1. The tie ended a seven-game win streak for the Mountaineers (7-0-1) .
• Cavaliers Defeat Blue Jays in Fall Game, 20-0: Sophomore infielder Jeremy Farrell had 6 RBIs and 13 Virginia pitchers held the Ontario Blue Jays to four hits in 13 innings as the Cavaliers defeated the Blue Jays, 20-0, in a fall game at Davenport Field Sunday afternoon.
• Cavaliers Win Three Titles at UVa Fall Invitational:The University of Virginia men's tennis team concluded play Sunday at the UVa Fall Invitational by winning three flight championships. Somdev Devvarman won the Blue Singles draw and teamed with Treat Huey to win the Blue Doubles draw. In the Red Doubles draw, the team of Milo Johnson and Leif Sunderland took the title.
• No. 2 Men's Soccer Still Undefeated: Junior midfielder Jeremy Barlow delivered his second game-winning goal of the season six minutes into overtime as No. 2 Virginia edged Boston College, 3-2, on Friday night at Klockner Stadium. The Cavaliers (7-0-0, 2-0-0 ACC) remained undefeated on the season and won their seventh straight game for the first time since the 1993 season.

To read the full stories or gather more information on Virignia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

Issue No. 219 - Dec. 9, 2005

Post of the Week

Wow, first post by TxDblHoo gets Post of the Week! He has nowhere to go but down from here. :)

Subject: Going to Nashville
Posted by: TxDblHoo on Thu Dec 8 2005 3:03:01 PM
Message: This is my first time to post on The Sabre, but I have been a long-time supporter of the site (I sent a check to Mike Ingalls back in 1996/1997 to help pay for a new server that he needed to support site activity). I have never lived in Virginia since graduating from UVA in 1992, so I have never felt that I had much of substance to add to the discussion (not that that seems to deter many posters!!!). However, I have greatly enjoyed reading about and keeping up with the Hoos from afar.

Every year my wife and I (also a Hoo alum) make a point of coming back to Charlottesville for one game every year. We have four children and coordinating schedules for us to get away for a few days is a logistical nightmare. I can truly say that this trip is one of the things I look forward to most every year. This year we were lucky enough to go to the Florida State game. As we stood in the stadium watching the Seminoles last efforts to pull out a victory, I turned to my wife and said "I know you won't believe this, but I don't care if we win or lose. Regardless of what happens I can't imagine a more perfect experience than today." We had spent the day walking around grounds, grabbed a bite to eat at the Virginian, and had joined a friends' tailgate before the game. Happily, we won, but a loss wouldn't have changed a great day.

I know that it may be a worn out refrain (and some may say it is an excuse for mediocrity), but college football is much more than wins and losses. To me it is about joining a large group of people who share a passion and cheer on young men who (for the most part) are doing their very best to represent an institution that they care deeply about. It is also about reliving and revisiting memories that, for so many of us, hold such a special place in our hearts.

Last night I got on the internet and bought tickets for my wife and I to fly from Dallas to Nashville (this will be the first time I have had the priveledge of going to a UVA bowl game). It is not the Rose Bowl, or even the Peach Bowl, but it is the bowl that UVA is playing in. I don't know if any of my friends are going, but I know that I will have a great time. I will be joining many thousands of folks who share my passion for Virginia football, and, win or lose, we will all take pride in cheering on the Hoos.

I hope that as many of you as possible are lucky enough to join me in Nashville.

Coming Soon

Football season has kicked off for Virginia and the Hoos are 1-2. The Sabre is the place to be for all of your Cavalier content as we keep you up to date on all that's going on. Here's a sneak peak at some of the articles to expect on the site in the coming days:

What grade will Jason Snelling and the running backs get?

• Greg's Game Grades
  Virginia's home loss to Western Michigan soured the Homecoming weekend festivities. Will Greg's Game Grades turn sour as well?
• WMU Photo Gallery
  Mike Ingalls provides a look at the Western Michigan game through the eyes of the camera.
• The Hawk's Nest
  Ahmad Hawkins' weekly column continues with a look at Thursday night games.
• Catching Up With ...
  The Sabre caught up with J.R. Reynolds and Lars Mikalauskas last week. See what the Cavalier hoopsters have worked on this offseason.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles from the past week

JHoo: 10 Things I Learned Against WMU
So much for Homecoming. Western Michigan came into Charlottesville off a good victory over Toledo, and rolled out with another solid win. Virginia meanwhile played three different quarterbacks as the team searched for answers. I still have some questions, but here are 10 Things I learned from Western Michigan.

The Turning Point - Western Michigan
Virginia's home loss to Western Michigan on Saturday easily proved to be the low point of the 2006 season - and quite possibly of the Al Groh era. But what was the turning point of the 17-10 Homecoming debacle? The answer is rather obvious, but not necessarily because of the play itself -- the aftermath that followed eventually led to the downfall of the Cavaliers.

Broncos Dissect Hoos On Homecoming
The lyrics of "The Scientist" ooze over you like a long summer's rain, slowly soaking melancholy deep into your bones while Coldplay's Chris Martin lets the words seep, seep, seep into your soul. Nobody said it was easy; No one ever said it would be this hard; Oh take me back to the start. Certainly Cavaliers near and far could feel that same tortuous trickle on Saturday as the reality of a 17-10 Homecoming loss to Western Michigan slowly sank into their hearts.

Best Seat in the House: WMU Coach Bill Cubit
Western Michigan is looking for its second straight win this week after topping Toledo in Week 2. The Broncos are 0-2 all time against Virginia, including a loss in Charlottesville last season. WMU coach Bill Cubit joined Jed Williams on The Best Seat in the House to talk about his team and the Broncos' chances of pulling off an upset in Charlottesville.

Keys to the Game - Western Michigan
Western Michigan and Virginia both enter this Saturday's showdown with a 1-1 record. After losing road openers, both teams won at home last week to avoid 0-2 starts. Who will keep the momentum going with back-to-back wins? UVa holds the historical edge with a 2-0 series lead, but the Hoos will need to capitalize on some of these keys to keep a perfect record against the Broncos. What does that mean for Chris Gould? Let's take a look at this week's "Keys to the Game."

Why or Why Not? - WMU Up Next
When the Sabre debuted the "Why or Why Not?" feature, the first guest in the experts chair was ESPN 840 AM's Wes McElroy. Well, Wes is back to take on some more questions as the Cavaliers prepare for a showdown with Western Michigan. What does Wes think about the Hoos' running game? Jon Copper's sack chances? Will the tight ends get going on offense? Find out what Wes says in "Why or Why Not?"

Game Preview: Western Michigan, Part 3
Virginia is 2-0 against Western Michigan in the history of the series, but the Broncos are feeling good after crushing Toledo last week, 31-10. Will WMU's offense be able to score that many points again this week? It's doubtful, but the Cavalier defense does need to stay aggressive and make it hard on the visitors.

Game Preview: Western Michigan, Part 2
The Virginia football team is looking for a 2-1 start this weekend as Western Michigan travels to Charlottesville. If the Hoos want back-to-back home wins, however, they'll have to deal with an aggressive WMU defense. The Broncos like to blitz and they are stout against the run. While the Cavaliers have been struggling on offense, however, there are some match-ups to take advantage of this weekend.

Game Preview: Western Michigan, Part 1
Last week, the Virginia football team squeaked out a 13-12 overtime win against Wyoming. Certainly, Hoo fans would like a less stressful outcome this time around when Western Michigan comes to town. With that mind, should the Cavaliers expect a less competitive game from the visiting Broncos? Not really. WMU should be just as fiesty as the Cowboys last week. The Sabre begins a new preview approach with a look at special teams and match-ups to watch plus the absolutes and desirables.

Best Seat in the House: Wali Lundy
Former Virginia running back Wali Lundy found himself in a starting role for the Houston Texans in Week 1 of the NFL season, which he called a "learning experience" against the Philadelphia Eagles. Lundy joined Jed Williams on The Best Seat in the House to talk about that first start, NFL speed, life in Houston, and more. Check out Lundy's thoughts here.

The Hawk's Nest - QB Debates Are Tough On Teams
After beating Wyoming 13-12 at home last week, the Cavaliers look to move a game above .500 for the first time this season. The Cavs are at home again looking to repeat the same results from last week. Notice I said "results" and not play because the Hoos have not looked very impressive as a team this year. The defense has been playing well, while the offense has yet to get in sync. When the offense is not getting the job done, there is one guy who usually takes the fall and that is the quarterback.

Hoos Tailgating With Mom - Chops & Smokies
After a slow start this season for the Virginia offense and the narrow escape against Wyoming, some of you may be ready to tailgate straight through the game this week. I personally wouldn't give up on a good season for the Hoos just yet, but I wouldn't expect a lot of blowout wins where you can head back to the tailgate early either.

Best Seat in the House: Kevin McCabe
Who will Virginia start this weekend at quarterback? No one in the public is really sure and as of Tuesday, neither were Christian Olsen or Kevin McCabe. Jed Williams sat down with McCabe to talk about how things have changed since last Saturday on The Best Seat in the House.

Hey, Remember When ... The Streak Stood at 1
The 46,800 fans (at that time a record) were out in full orange force in 1990 to watch the Hoos take on the Clemson Tigers - a team which had a 29-game winning streak against Virginia. By the end of the day, thanks to players like Shawn Moore and Chris Slade, UVa stood tall with a new mantra: "The Streak Stands at 1."

Cavalier Call-in Highlights 2006, Show 3
The season's third installment of Cavalier Call-in aired on Monday night as Mac MacDonald and Al Groh talked about Wyoming and Western Michigan. Coach Groh also took several calls from the listening audience - though no questions were posed about this week's starting quarterback. That's a good thing because a starter - either Christian Olsen or Kevin McCabe - isn't expected to be named until later in the week.

Greg's Game Grades: Virginia 13, Wyoming 12
Virginia survived against Wyoming in its second game of the season, winning 13-12 in overtime. The victory pushed the Hoos' record to 1-1 after the season-opening loss at Pittsburgh. How much did the Cavaliers improve in the grade book from Week 1 to Week 2? Did Kevin Ogletree's touchdown catch help the receivers' grade? How many A's did the defense get? Find out in this week's analysis.

A Fan's Notes from the Upper Deck
The first home game of the 2006 season is now behind us. Some things went right (like Nate Lyles and the defense), some things went wrong, and some things went ugly. After a beautiful drive down to Scott Stadium, hours of scorching sun, and a Chicken BBQ Combo, here are this fan's notes from the upper deck coming straight at you from the 500s.

Photo Gallery: Wyoming at Virginia
Virginia battled through four quarters with Wyoming on Saturday and the teams entered overtime tied at 6-6. While neither club could produce a touchdown in regulation, however, UVa needed just one play to reach the end zone in overtime when Kevin McCabe hit Kevin Ogletree with a pass. Check out some of the action from the Cavaliers' home opener in this 97-photo gallery.

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.

All of the great Sabre Edge content can be yours for the price of $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. Try it for a month and cancel if you like. But we think you'll get hooked on the Edge and find out for yourself why the most knowledgeable Cavalier fans are Edge subscribers.

If you're a true Wahoo, then the Sabre Edge is right for you. Check it out!

• Sabre Edge Info and Sign Up