We Have A Winner!

The SabreMail Contest returned last week with a basketball challenge. The contest was simple: Choose an opponent on either the men's or women's hoops schedule and write a joke, riddle, lyric, poem, "smackdown" story, or haiku about that foe. The most entertaining one to me wins.

Sabre user The UVA Fool came up with the best entry to win 2 free months of an EDGE subscription! Here's what won the prize:

Victory is Ours

All throughout C-ville, questions were made:
What happened to football? Why did we fade?
"Worry not," said many a fans.
For in less than a month, we'll be in Leitao Land.

First we meet 'Zona - we'll have some good laughs,
We'll double their score at the end of both halves.
Then come Morgan State and UNC-A,
Give me a break - we'll put em away.

In comes Maryland of the Eastern Shore.
That game's a snoozer so you I won't bore.
But in the ACC Challenge we go to Purdue
Who are the Big 10?? Do they EVER come through?

We begin ACC play against NC State.
The Wolfpack are weak - we'll be sure to dominate.
Hampton is easy, it's like they're in high school.
And at the San Juan Shootout, we'll take the crown jewel.

We should be patriotic against American U,
but we'll show them no mercy - we'll do what we do.
We'll zip past the Zags and Stanford's no match.
Then Hoos versus Heels - a win we will snatch.

We'll travel to Boston where we'll be the boss.
We'll come home against Maryland to avenge last year's loss.
Demons and Wolfpack and Tigers oh my!
So many big wins, we'll be feeling so high!

In the come the Dookies, they deserve their own stanza.
But nothing will save them from the HOOStravaganza!
Here come the 'Canes, acting all beast,
But we'll send them back crying to the Big East.

The Terps lose again, just like they did prior.
They'll probably light College Park all on fire.
Then it's the Hokies in their home town.
We'll demolish them to pieces - they're going down.

Oh and then poor Longwood, caught in the action.
The win we get there, is hardly satisfaction.
Florida State and those rowdy Seminoles,
We'll lock em up, much like we do criminals.

The Canes once more ...man I love winning!
The bees from G-Tech...we'll send em home spinning.
The Hokies come back to the new JPJ.
We'll eat em alive, like a Thanksgiving buffet.

We'll end regular season out on the road
Exorcising the Demons, we'll watch them explode.
Though we're down about football, we're different from Tech.
There are other sports out there; other teams whom we'll wreck.

Sean and the boys show a promising year.
Fear not, Hoos fans...for March Madness is near.
We'll make the big dance, and we'll win the whole thing.
In Leitao I trust to take us all dancing

Congratulations to The UVA Fool for this winning entry! Stay tuned to SabreMail for future contests!

Kris Wright
TheSabre.com
Editor

Football recruiting.

TE Mark Ambrose, TE Andrew Devlin, LB Terence Fells-Danzer, PK Chris Hinkebein, and OLB Romale Tucker were the commitments on hand to see UVa's home loss to Maryland this past weekend. Corey Mosley headlined the remaining targets in attendance.

Stay tuned for comments from UVa's commitments on their experiences on Saturday. Also, there is an article posted this morning on Henrico star Corey Mosley. Mosley has set two official visits and his recruitment appears as if it will be an in-state race until the end.

Game Ball

This week's SabreMail game ball goes to Max Milien, the 6-1, 195-pound running back out of Yorktown (Arlington, VA).

Milien missed the first four games of the year due to a knee injury, but returned to the lineup last Monday in Yorktown's loss to Loudoun Valley. He saw limited time against Loudoun Valley, but really broke out this past Friday in a 58-27 win over Mount Vernon. In the win, Milien rushed for 200 yards on 12 carries and had two catches for 25 yards. He scored three touchdowns in total, making a statement that he's back in stride.

Yorktown moved to 5-1 on the season. It takes on Edison this Friday.

Other top performances .

West Springfield quarterback Peter Lalich continues to put up impressive numbers. And, this time, his team was able to come away with a win, defeating T.C. Williams 57-50.

Lalich completed 19 of 29 passes for 307 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He added four carries for 28 yards and a five-yard score, leading his team to a 2-4 record on the year.

Matoaca's Kris Burd was a star on offense and defense last Friday, helping the Warriors to a 24-6 win over Thomas Dale. The 6-1, 185-pound UVa recruit had two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown on offense, but his 11 tackles and three pass-deflections on defense helped set the tone as well.

Matoaca is 6-0 on the year.

Defensive tackle Nick Jenkins tallied six tackles including 2.5 sacks in Good Counsel's 46-6 win over O'Connell last Friday. Jenkins has 7.5 sacks on the season.

Good Counsel is 7-0 on the year and faces Gonzaga this Saturday.

Basketball recruiting.

Coach Dave Leitao and company will host 6-8, 215-pound recruit Mike Scott on an official visit this weekend. Scott is a power forward target out of Chesapeake, Virginia. He averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds per game as a senior last season for Deep Creek High School. He originally signed with Temple last fall, but decided to open up his options following the departure of John Chaney from Temple. He is now at Hargrave Military Academy.

Scott, a prospect with outstanding athleticism, is making his first official visit. As reported on The Sabre EDGE last week, he has narrowed his list to four schools - Clemson, N.C. State, Wake Forest and Virginia. No other visits have been set at this point, but stay tuned as I will check up on the situation on Sunday following the trip.

According to a report on Rivals.com, UVa is no longer pursuing small forward Eric Wallace. The 6-6, 210-pound Wallace was once a commitment to UVa, but reneged on his decision recently and decided to re-open his recruitment.

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 ...

An In-State Battle for Mosley
Corey Mosley certainly is the subject of an in-state recruiting battle between Virginia and Virginia Tech. Both staffs are working the 5-9, 192-pound prospect hard and he plans to give both schools a hard look. In fact, the Henrico High School (VA) star has set official visits to both programs.

Burd, Warriors Soaring in 2006
The Matoaca Warriors have shot out to a 5-0 record to start the 2006 season and are currently ranked #1 in the Richmond metro area by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Three-star UVa recruit Kris Burd has posted 100-plus yards in receiving in three separate games and is doing his part on defense as well.

Scott Narrows List
According to Hargrave Military Academy Head Coach Kevin Keatts, power forward prospect Mike Scott has narrowed his list to four schools. Just when the 6-8, 215-pound recruit may make a decision is more cloudy, however it looks like he is certainly closer than he was before.

Also from the past week ...

• The Latest on Eric Wallace
• Parr Getting Closer to Decision?
• Recruitment Heating up for Bradley
• Cavs in Serious Pursuit of Tukes

Planning a great cookout at your house? Headed to someone else's barbeque? Planning to tailgate at UVa? Either way, Kroger® is the place to go for all of your grilling and cooking needs. Pick up your favorite hamburgers, hotdogs, buns, ketchup, mustard, relish, or whatever else you need for a perfect and tasty meal.

Count on your Kroger delicatessen to create inviting tailgating trays that taste as good as they look. Or you can simpy grab an already cooked rotisserie chicken. Or how about potato salad, wings, or other great quick dining options? Kroger gives you fast options so you can get to the game fast to support your Hoos!

Also, don't forget that Kroger® is still the place to go for all of your dinner needs!

Thanks, as always, for giving the Sabre's sponsors the first chance to win your business. Remember, our sponsors help bring you a better Web site.

Let's Talk Football With Kirk Herbstreit

The local chapter of the National Football Foundation invites all football fans to ...

Let's Talk Football
with Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN announcer

Wednesday, October 18 , 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Cash Bar and Hors d'oeuvres
$20 per person - pay at the door

Omni Hotel
235 West Main Street

For more information on this event, call Paul Muhlberger at (434) 882-1633

Don't Forget, The Sabre Has Video!

The Sabre.com has teamed up with Charlottesville's WCAV TV (CBS 19, Gray Television) to bring video - free and available to all - to the Sabre.com. Gray Television is the flagship television partner for Virginia athletics.

WCAV-CBS19 (along with WVAW-ABC16 and WAHU-FOX27) provides some of the best Cavalier content broadcast on the air waves and now that video is available through The Sabre.com. Visit the video landing page to see the most recent Virginia video links - you are just one click away from enjoying the television station's excellent coverage.

Check out The Sabre's new video landing page today and make sure to check back frequently for new Cavalier content!

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Mat Talk with Steve Garland: The UVa alum joined Virginiasports.com to talk about coaching his alma mater. Garland said the start to his coaching tenure has "been crazy, but it's been everything I thought it would be." Check out the full chat on Virginiasports.com
• Cavalier Women's Soccer Downs Virginia Tech 2-1: The Virginia women's soccer team captured its second consecutive win, defeating Virginia Tech 2-1 Thursday night at Klockner Stadium. Jess Rostedt had a goal an assist to lead the Cavaliers, who improved to 9-4-2 on the season, 4-2-1 in the ACC.
• Six-Run Eighth Inning Lifts Orange to Series Win, 7-1: Sophomore shortstop Greg Miclat scored two runs and finished 2 for 4 with an RBI and Orange used a six-run eighth inning to win the fourth annual Orange-Blue World Series, 7-1, Saturday morning at Davenport Field. Casey Lambert registered his second win of the series in relief.
• Cavaliers Compete at NCAA Pre-Nationals: Virginia's Jan Foerster took 10th overall (23:45) in the Pre-Nationals White 8K race at Indiana State University on the course that will be used for the 2006 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Teammates Emily Harrison (20:40) and Kara Scanlin (20:47) finished seven seconds apart to both notch top 25 finishes in the women's 6K Blue Race. The women, ranked 26nd nationally, finish 11th overall. The men placed 12th out of 35 teams.
• Volleyball Splits With Florida Teams: After defeating Miami 3-0 on Friday, the Virginia volleyball team suffered its first home loss of the season as Florida State won 3-0 (30-26, 30-27, 32-30) on Saturday at Memorial Gym. With the loss, the Cavaliers fall to 13-6 overall and 6-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Cavaliers Turn in Best Round to Finish 8th at The Ridges: Playing its best single round of the year, the Virginia men's golf team finished eighth at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at The Ridges. Virginia shot 1-under 287 Sunday to finish at 27-over 291. Virginia sophomore Conrad Von Borsig equaled his best single-round score with a 4-under 68 to lead the Cavaliers during the final round.

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

When deciding how to outfit your little ones this Halloween, be sure to check out some of the products in stock at UVaBookstores.com. One idea is to dress up your youngster as a Virginia football player or cheerleader (items shown above). Click the link below to see other items in stock and ready to ship. Happy Halloween!

Halloween Ideas

Issue No. 177 - February 18, 2005

Every now and then, I receive an email that helps put everything in perspective. This touching and poignant one came from Nathan McAnulty earlier this week and he gave me permission to share it here ...

I am writing in concern of how much UVA athletics and thesabre.com were a part of my brother's life. My brother, Spencer McAnulty, passed away on 2/1/05 from a blood clot. He was 32 years old and had just had back surgery. Him not being able to move around and circulate his blood was a cause of death. I am his brother Nathan, 30, and am a big Tarheel fan. We grew up as kids, him rooting for UVA and me for UNC. UVA football became a big part of his life. He planned his vacation around UVA football. He was a season ticket holder.

His wife Chris plans on keeping the tickets for their 21 month old son, Garrett, and 4 1/2 month old daughter, Annisa, so they can go to the games and enjoy them, as their daddy wanted to take them badly when they got old enough. I also know as a Godparent that it is my responsibility to take them to the games and influence them to become UVA fans no matter if I like UVA or not. One of the reasons I am sending you this email is that Spencer's wife Chris received a sympathy letter today from Al Groh. It was very touching to our whole family as we know how much this would mean to him. I also think the way Groh found out about his death was because a friend of ours and another UVA fan and season ticket holder put it on your Web site. Spencer died in a #11 UVA jersey and was buried in his favoite player, Elton Brown, jersey. Thanks to UVA athletics for giving my brother a major love of sports in his life.

John Galinsky, who was then the Sabre Editor, shared that with SabreMail users in issue No. 177.

Coming Soon

October has arrived on the calendar, which means both football and basketball are buzzing. 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:

"The Hawk's Nest" with Ahmad Hawkins

• Greg's Game Grades
  Virginia lost a heartbreaker to Maryland - will the grades break any hearts?
• JHoo's 10 Things
  Each week, respected Sabre poster JHoo weighs in with 10 Things he learned from the previous game. What did JHoo see against Maryland?
• Basketball Practice Update
  The Sabre attended basketball practice over the weekend and has a few thoughts to share.
• The Hawk's Next
  Ahmad Hawkins' weekly column takes a look at the UNC rivalry.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles from the past week

Terps Rally Past Cavaliers
The olden tale of the "The Tortoise and The Hare" warned of days like this. You know how the moral of the story goes. Don't let up just because things are going really well. Always push through to the finish because that pesky turtle will keep plugging away.

Virginia fans just wish the fairy tale didn't come to life right before their eyes at Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers raced out to a 20-0 halftime lead against the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday, only to watch the visitors surge ahead with 28 unanswered points en route to the 28-26 win.

Keys to the Game - Maryland
The Virginia football team begins a three-game stretch on Saturday that could help it salvage the season. Win all three and steal one in November and you're bowl eligible. No question, that's a far-fetched notion with the way the Hoos have played so far in 2006. After all, the out-of-conference run was a disaster. But at 1-1 in the ACC, that's really the only way the Cavaliers can look at things and the path to redemption starts against Maryland. Can Jameel Sewell and company take these Keys to the Game and top the Terps?

Game Preview: Maryland, Part 3
Few match-ups have been as Jekyll and Hyde as the Virginia-Maryland series. The Terrapins and the Cavaliers always play well at home, at least in recent years. That bodes well for the Hoos, who return to Scott Stadium this week after a three-game road stretch. Still, if the hosts are going to pull out a win, UVa's defense will have to improve on last season's showing in College Park.

Best Seat in the House: Thomas Jones
Former Virginia running back Thomas Jones has resurrected his NFL career with the Chicago Bears and he has helped the team become an NFC power. So far in 2006, the Bears are off to a 5-0 start and they have started to generate early season Super Bowl talk. Jones, who is in his seventh year in the league, joined Jed Williams on The Best Seat in the House to talk about this season, his NFL career, the University of Virginia, and more.

Game Preview: Maryland, Part 2
By and large, Maryland's defense has struggled on trips to Charlottesville. Since 1988, the Terrapins have held Virginia to less than 20 points just once and they got shut out in that 2004 game in a 16-0 UVa win. With the Cavaliers' difficulties on offense this season, the Terps may have a chance to keep points off the board this time around - if they can limit some of their defensive problems that is. On the other hand, Mike Groh's offense can take advantage of some match-ups to get the offense going this week.

The Hawk's Nest - Terp Rivalry Better In C'Ville
This Saturday the Virginia Cavaliers are back in front of a home crowd for the first time in a month when they take on the visiting Maryland Terrapins. Unlike the past two weeks, the Cavs should not have a problem getting themselves motivated for this game. Records are never a factor when playing the Terps.

Hoos Tailgating With Mom - Margarita Shrimp Kabobs
Finally, the Hoos are coming back home. After three straight road games and nearly one month of calendar time, Virginia's football team will take the field at Scott Stadium. Maybe the familiar surroundings will help the Cavaliers turn things around. Regardless, the hometown territory should help you get back into a tailgating groove - and we've got two recipes (Margarita Shrimp Kabobs and Parmesan Potatoes) to get you started.

Game Preview: Maryland, Part 1
It seems like every team on Virginia's 2006 schedule so far has had an excellent punter in the mix. This week's opponent - Maryland - is no different. Adam Podlesh is a dangerous weapon, especially since the Terps like to play the field position game. How the Hoos deal with Podlesh's punting and special teams in general could factor into the outcome of Saturday's Scott Stadium showdown.

Jed's Best Seat Buzz: Say Anything?
For the first time in two years, the "parentals" - Joe and Sandy W - are arriving on the scene this weekend to absorb the sights and sounds of Virginia Football. I shudder at the thought of what those sights and sounds might be should, heaven forbid, the Wahoos lose. And, at some point this weekend, my mom and I will fight. I'll say something regrettable. My mother will call me on it. And the line she'll use is the same one she's been pounding home since I was fingerpainting: "Some things are better left unsaid."

Hoos Ready To Start Season In JPJ
Optimism. Excitement. Unbridled enthusiasm. That's what a sparkling new facility, a bright coach, a deep and talented roster, and returning experience will do for basketball fans. Yes, it's a good time to be a Wahoo - even if it's just because the new John Paul Jones Arena holds such tremendous promise. Certainly, you can count coach Dave Leitao among those who understand the significance and anticipation surrounding the Cavaliers as they embark on the upcoming season.

The Turning Point - ECU
So close, but yet so far. Close, but no cigar. Little things mean a lot. Virginia's big loss to ECU on Saturday evening was a series of "little things" that added up to a big consequence. Time after time, a play here or a play there could have been the difference between winning and losing. Any single one of these plays could have become this article - if one of them had gone in UVa's favor, that is. Instead, a series of late first-half breakdowns became "The Turning Point" for the Hoos.

Greg's Game Grades: ECU 31, UVa 21
Virginia football coach Al Groh summed up Virginia's 31-21 loss to East Carolina better than any writer could. "[ECU] out-kicked us, out-coached us, out-defended us, out-ran us so we got the result we got," said Groh. With that in mind, let's look at the grades from Virginia's 31-21 loss at East Carolina.

10 Things I Learned Against ECU
What does the loss to ECU mean? That is a question I was asked right after the final whistle. I was not sure how to answer it then, and I am not sure how to answer it now. So let's break it down. Here are "10 Things I Learned Against East Carolina" - including the fact that the wide receivers need to make more of the difficult catches.

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!

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