Ryan, Williams Exceed Goal for Toy Lift

UVa Media Relations Official Release

Jed Williams, host of The Best Seat in the House and a Sabre partner, joined Debbie Ryan to raise money for Toy Lift.

Virginia women's basketball head coach Debbie Ryan and WINA Radio sports director Jed Williams exceeded their goal of raising $5,000 in monetary donations in two days for Toy Lift.

The 55 pledges collected during Williams' talk show- "The Best Seat in the House"- totaled $5,160. The money has been specifically earmarked for the purchase of children's bicycles for the holiday season.

As per their agreement, Ryan and Williams donned their Speedo swimwear and were hoisted in the bucket truck at 8:15 on Friday morning in 21 degree weather. To view a photo slide show, Click here.

"I can't thank the Central Virginia community enough for their generosity," Williams said. "The money we raised should purchase between 300-400 bicycles for area youth this Christmas, and that's something we can all be proud of. I don't know if the thought of Coach Ryan and me in speedos is one we want to stomach again anytime soon, but in spite of that visual, this community has delivered as it always does."

"It was a lot of fun to be able to go up in the lift bucket, because we knew many children would be happy during the holidays," Ryan said. "We want to thank the entire Charlottesville community for stepping up and providing kids with bikes."

Toy Lift is the signature event of the Kids Lift Foundation. Toy Lift began in 1988 when founder Tom Powell decided to perch himself eighty feet up in a bucket truck at the corner of Hydraulic Road & Route 29. He stayed there until people donated 1,000 toys, which he then distributed to local children. Eighteen years later, Toy Lift has grown into a huge annual community event with food, entertainment, and media coverage, raising more than 17,000 toys.

Toy Lift serves children ages newborn to 13 in the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, and Nelson counties. For more information on Toy Lift 2006, please visit the Toy Lift Web site.

Virginia (7-2) is in the midst of an 11-day break for final exams. The Cavaliers resume action on Saturday, Dec. 16 when they host Cleveland State at 7 p.m. at the John Paul Jones Arena.

Football Recruiting

This past weekend, Al Groh and company hosted three recruits on official visits - Dontrelle Inman, a 6-2.5, 185-pound WR out of Batesburg-Leesville (S.C.); Corey Mosley, a 5-9, 190-pound DB/WR out of Henrico (Richmond, VA); Brandon Spurlock, a 5-10, 185-pound WR out of Henrico (Richmond, VA).

TheSabre.com was able to catch up with each of these three prospects for comments on their official visit experiences. Two articles - one on Inman and one on Mosley - have already been posted, with one on Spurlock coming out later Monday. All three enjoyed their time in Charlottesville.

A decision is expected this week from Inman, who has scheduled an announcement at his high school for Thursday at 7 p.m. His list of finalists includes Auburn, Georgia Tech, Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia - he only made an official visit to UVa. Can the Hoos come away with commitment #22? Stay tuned on Thursday to find out.

Thursday promises to be a big day in more ways than one. That is also when UVa coach Al Groh is expected to be in the home of touted offensive line recruit John Elliott. Elliott, a 6-5, 295-pound blue-chip prospect out of East Meadow High School, has narrowed his list to four - Boston College, Michigan, Rutgers, and Virginia.

Elliott made an official visit to Rutgers this past weekend and has scheduled official visit dates with Michigan and Virginia for the month of January.

Stay tuned for more on Elliott, as we will try and catch up with him for thoughts on Al Groh's in-home visit. Elliott is one of the top remaining targets for the staff.

Also on the EDGE this week will be updates on Hargrave standouts Almondo Sewell and Ras-I Dowling. Sewell, a LB, and Dowling, a DB, signed with UVa this past February.

Postseason accolades .

Here are a few notables .

Matoaca's Kris Burd earned Central Region Offensive Player of the Year honors for his senior season performance. In 12 games, the 6-1, 185-pound wide receiver finished with 46 receptions for 985 yards and 10 touchdowns. Matoaca went undefeated in the regular season and finished 11-1 on the year.

6-0, 185-pound Henry Clay star Chase Minnifield was one of four finalists for Mr. Football in the state of Kentucky.

Minnifield was extremely productive in his senior year. He passed for 365 yards and three touchdowns, had 458 yards rushing with eight touchdowns, and made 48 receptions for 630 yards and nine touchdowns. On special teams, he tallied 523 yards and four touchdowns on returns. Defensively, he made three interceptions.

Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, PA) defensive back Dom Joseph earned Philadelphia Daily News first-team all-city honors. The 6-0, 190-pound prospect was the second player to commit to UVa for the 2007 recruiting class.

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 ...

Fork Union Notes: A New Offer?
Fork Union Military Academy's varsity and postgraduate football programs had their workouts for college coaches earlier this week. TheSabre.com caught up with Fork Union Postgraduate Head Coach John Shuman for the latest on LB Jarrell Miller as well as info on a few other UVa targets, including one new offer.

Hargrave Report: Cuffee Gets Good News
Former Deep Creek (Chesapeake, VA) standout Billy Cuffee has had a positive experience at Hargrave Military Academy. The 6-5, 310-pound prospect feels he has developed well on and off the field, his hard work recently paying off with some good news.

Getting To Know ... Romale Tucker
Why did Romale Tucker, a top linebacker out of Washington D.C.'s Ballou High School choose the University of Virginia to play out his college years? Was it because the school was a good choice for him? Maybe because UVa is close to home? Or maybe it's the food.

Updates since last week's SabreMail ...

• Mosley Has "Great" Visit to UVa
• Inman Visits UVa; Set to Decide Thursday
• Elliott Down to Four Schools
• Weekend Visitor: Henrico DB/ATH Corey Mosley
• Senior film: West Springfield QB Peter Lalich
• Weekend Visitor: Henrico WR/CB Brandon Spurlock
• Conrath Rates UVa Visit a "10"
• Minnifield Makes Official Visit to UVa

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.

UVa Media Relations Official Release

Former University of Virginia football player Jamshid "Jim" Bakhtiar was presented with the Football Writers Association of America All-America Alumni Award at the FWAA's 63rd All-America Team ceremony at the Atlantic Dance Hall on Disney's Boardwalk.

A native of Tehran, Iran, Bakhtiar came to the United States as an 11-year old in 1946. He began playing football as a youngster growing up in Washington, D.C., first at Wilson High School and then at the Bullis School. Recruited to UVa by Harrison "Chief" Nesbit, Bahktiar starred as a fullback and linebacker during his varsity career from 1955-57, typically playing between 55-60 minutes per game, and was the most dominant ball-carrier in the Atlantic Coast Conference's first decade. Upon completion of his career he was first in ACC history in rushing (2434 yards), rushing attempts (555) and most 100-yard games--all records that stood until 1968. He also posted the No. 2 and No. 3 top rushing seasons in ACC history (and three of top eight) and remained so until 1964.

He led UVa in rushing and scoring in each of this three varsity seasons and remains the only player in school history to do so. He also finished in the top-10 nationally in rushing all three years, an extraordinarily rare feat for any era.

Bakhtiar led the ACC in rushing as a senior in 1957 and earned first-team All-America honors from the FWAA and Look magazine.

He played one year of professional football with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.

Earning his medical degree from UVa in 1963, Bakhtiar returned to Iran in the 1970s to teach at the University of Isfahan. He also established the first psychiatric unit in a general hospital in Iran. Several years after returning to his homeland, the Iranian revolution erupted as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini came into power.

One night in 1982, several of Khomeini's men broke into Bakhtiar's house and took him away. Kept for a month and released, Bakhtiar, his wife and three young children escaped Iran by riding horseback at night and hiding in caves during the day until they reached Turkey. From there Bakhtiar and his family returned to the United States.

He is currently practicing psychiatry and lives in West Virginia.

You can listen to Bakhtiar talk about his early football career and a trip he made back to Iran during his teenage years through this link.

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Fan of the Week

Every week, theSabre.com features a Fan of the Week photo on the front page of the Web site. (Archives are available in the Wahoowa! section.) So you want to be the fan of the week? It's easy - be the loudest Hoo at a live UVa event, wear some crazy Cavalier gear, or do something else to catch our attention. If Mike or Kris spot you and take your picture, you'll be in the running for Fan of the Week honors!

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Youri Sedykh, World Record Holder, to Speak at Virginia: Youri Sedykh, the world record holder in the hammer throw, will speak at the University of Virginia as part of a five-day coaching and training clinic held in Charlottesville. Sedykh will be joined by USA team member Adam Nelson, an assistant coach with the Virginia track and field team and Dr. Iain Hunter, the hammer throw biomechanist for USA Track and Field. The five-day clinic will run from Dec. 16-20.
• Virginia Softball Names 2007 Captains: Softball coach Karen Johns has announced that seniors Elea Crockett and Amy McKean as well as junior Whitney Holstun and freshman Abby Snyder have been selected as team captains for the 2007 season.
• Three Cavaliers Named Sporting News Freshman All-Americans: Virginia grid stars Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Will Barker, and Jameel Sewell have been named to The Sporting News' Freshman All-American team. Fitzgerald was named to the first team, while Barker was a second-team choice. Sewell was an honorable mention selection.
• Sandberg Highlights Baseball's 2007 Step Up To The Plate: The 2007 Virginia Baseball Team will hold its fifth annual "Step Up To The Plate!" on Fri., Jan. 26 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium. Former Chicago Cub Ryne Sandberg will serve as the guest speaker at the event.
• Corrigan And Stith To Enter Virginia Sports Hall Of Fame: Former Virginia Athletics Director Gene Corrigan and former UVa men's basketball standout Bryant Stith are two of the seven individuals who will enter the state of Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in April.
• Virginia Men's Tennis Receives Bid to National Team Indoors: The Virginia men's tennis team received a bid to the 2007 ITA National Team Indoor Championships, which will be held February 16-19 at the Midtown Tennis Club in Chicago. The Cavaliers will be making their third consecutive appearance in the tournament, which features 16 of the nation's top teams.
• Colaluca Named NSCAA Second Team All-American: Virginia junior midfielder Nico Colaluca was named second team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Colaluca and redshirt freshman defender Bakary Soumare, sophomore forward Yannick Reyering, and senior forward Adam Cristman were also named to the NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region teams.

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

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Issue No. 163 - November 5, 2004

After week off, a changed football landscape

Al Groh's team is in the thick of the ACC title hunt.

Without playing a game, the Virginia football team's outlook for the final month of the regular season changed quite a bit last weekend.

Thanks to Miami's loss to North Carolina and Florida State's defeat at Maryland, the Cavaliers suddenly found themselves on top of the ACC standings. Tied at 3-1 with Miami and Virginia Tech, Virginia has a chance to win the conference title outright by sweeping its final four games.

Of course, that won't be easy. The 'Hoos face Maryland and Miami at home, then Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech on the road. All of those opponents are formidable. But as last weekend showed, every team is beatable, and it looks like nothing will go as expected. At this point, all you can ask is to have your destiny in your own hands. And now, because of some surprising results, Virginia controls its own fate. Should be an exciting November.

Coming Soon

December has arrived and UVa athletics are in a break for exams. Don't fret - the Sabre will still have plenty of content to keep you excited about the Hoos! Here's a sneak peak at some of the articles to expect on the site in the coming days:

• Greg's Superlatives
  The Sabre's Greg Waters hands out some end of the season superlatives for the Cavalier football team.
• JHoo's Things I Learned Series
  Starting this week with the quarterback position, JHoo will start looking back at the season with "Things I Learned About ...". The articles will focus on positions, themes, and more for UVa football.
• Back In Action
  After taking a break for exams, the Cavalier hoops teams return to action on Saturday. We'll get you up to speed with what to watch for in the first games after the break.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles from the past week

A Season On The Rollercoaster
Every season has its ups and downs. A final goal line stand against Florida State . a 65-yard scoring interception return by the Hokies. A high snap in Raleigh . a fake field goal in Charlottesville. An upset by the Blue Devils . an upset against the Jackets. Every season for us Cavalier fans is like sitting on a raging rollercoaster. Highs, lows, and everything in between. This season was no different. Dubbed a "rebuilding year" by most, the 2006 installment of the gridiron Hoos was still another amusement park ride.

5 Things I Learned Against Purdue & NCSU
After JHoo successfully reeled off the "10 Things I Learned" series throughout football season, many Sabre users wanted a similar set of articles for basketball season. While I don't expect to be as successful as JHoo's endeavors, I'm going to give it the ole college try. After each game week is completed, I'll provide you with "5 Things I Learned" in an effort to look back at the previous week's basketball games. With that in mind, let's look back at N.C. State and Purdue.

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.

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