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   SabreMail - August 6, 2007
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Practice Begins

The wait for the return of Virginia football is over! Practice starts today with an evening session that is closed to the public. There are five open practices that fans can attend:

  • Fri., 8/10, 2:20 p.m.
  • Sat., 8/11, 8:35 a.m. and 6:35 p.m
  • Fri., 8/17, 2:20 p.m.
  • Sat., 8/18, 8:35 a.m.

The Sabre will provide coverage of practices through training camp. Al Groh frequently meets with the media via teleconference.

The football team's annual Meet the Team Day is just around the corner as the Cavaliers look forward to the 2007 season. The team begins practice on Monday, Aug. 6 and the yearly fan festival event quickly follows on Sunday, Aug. 12. Meet the team Day begins when the gates open at 2:30 p.m. No open practice dates have been announced as of yet.

Meet the Team Day, which features both free admission and free parking, will run until approximately 4:15 p.m. with the players and coaches arriving around 2:45 p.m. Scheduled activities include a uniform try-on station, face tattoo/painting, free autographable posters, raffle prizes, inflatable games, and a gyrosphere. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase concessions and select Cavalier merchandise.

UVa opens the 2007 season at Wyoming on Saturday, Sept. 1, in a game that kicks off at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. Virginia's home opener is Saturday, Sept. 8, against Duke. Kickoff is noon.

Kris Wright
Editor
TheSabre.com

   Recruiting News

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Football recruiting ...

Despite missing out on one of its top targets in Smithfield WR Dyrell Roberts, Virginia has received some good news over the past few weeks. Three of its other top targets - Robinson (Concord, N.C.) offensive tackle R.J. Mattes and Gateway (Monroeville, PA) star duo Shayne Hale and Cameron Saddler - have set official visits to Charlottesville.

The 6-7, 275-pound Mattes informed TheSabre.com last week that he has narrowed his list of choices to five. In alphabetical order, those schools include Clemson, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina, and Virginia. Mattes will make an official visit to UVa on the weekend of September 29th, when the Cavs take on the Pitt Panthers. Mattes, the son of former UVa star lineman Ron Mattes, wants to make all five official visits before coming to a decision.

Mattes' last trip to Virginia was for summer camp and he came away very impressed (see the links below).

Hale, a 5-star linebacker prospect, and Saddler, a 3-star RB/WR/KR/PR, will make their official visits to Virginia on the weekend of September 22nd, when Virginia takes on ACC foe Georgia Tech. Hale and Saddler, cousins who are contemplating attending the same college, have also set official visits with Michigan and West Virginia. Hale also lists Ohio State in his top four and is considering others including Rutgers, while Saddler's final four also includes Syracuse.

While it is not a done deal that Hale and Saddler will attend the same college, it is a very plausible scenario.

This week, we will take a closer look at several other top targets including St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH) RB Darius Ashley, Riverdale (GA) OL Cordy Glenn, and Wayne Valley (Wayne, N.J.) TE/LB/DE Chris Pantale. Stay tuned for more on these kids in the coming days.


Countdown to Signing Day ...

It's been a while since our last edition of "Countdown to Signing Day." Later this week, we will release the latest installment of the series. The beginning of football season coincides with the heating up (once again) of the recruiting season. Virginia has been busy up to this point, landing 12 verbal commitments, but I will take a look at where the Cavs will head with the remaining available scholarships.

The first of September means that senior prospects can now make official visits and college coaches can resume direct phone calls to recruits ... the final key stretch - no longer the main key stretch with spring and summer being so important now - is upon us. Check out to see what lies ahead for head coach Al Groh and company.


Basketball recruiting...

Without doubt, Ed Davis' decision to attend North Carolina was a stinger to the UVa basketball program as well as the fans. But head coach Dave Leitao and company continue to plug along and received some good news this past week when 6-11 center John Brandenburg informed TheSabre.com that Stanford and Virginia are his final two schools.

Brandenburg, who plays for DeSmet Jesuit in St. Louis (MO), is rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com. He will visit both of his finalists before making a decision. His first visit comes this week, when he travels to Stanford on Thursday, August 9th. Brandenburg has only visited Stanford once, back when he was in the 8th grade. Needless to say, this is a crucial visit. He will return to Virginia on the weekend of September 9th for an official visit before he makes a commitment.

Brandenburg likes the ACC, Virginia's education and his prospects for playing time. The Cavs are right there, but can they close it out? I think they can, though the Stanford visit obviously looms large. I will try to reach John for comments once he returns from Palo Alto.


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 ...

4-Star Brandenburg Narrows List to Two
Rising senior center John Brandenburg, a 4-star recruit out of DeSmet Jesuit School in St. Louis, Missouri, has narrowed his list of schools to two. The 6-11 prospect plans to visit each of his two finalists one more time before making a decision, which will likely come in September.

UVa's Family Atmosphere Sticks out to Holley
Most rising senior recruits that have visited the University of Virginia speak about the "family" atmosphere they experienced. This was no different in the case of 4-star cornerback/wide receiver target Jarred Holley, who, accompanied by his family, visited the University of Virginia last week.

Mattes Sets Official Visit to UVa
Robinson (Concord, N.C.) offensive tackle R.J. Mattes has narrowed his list of schools to five and is in the process of setting up official visits with each program. The University of Virginia made the cut for the 6-7, 275-pound Mattes, who has already set up his official visit to Charlottesville.

Other updates since the last SabreMail ...

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   News, Notes, and Fan Discussion

The Sabre's Opponent Sites' Directory

Pittsburgh (Official)
Panther Lair
Panther Digest
With football season approaching fast, many Virginia fans might be interested in what the Cavaliers' opponents are up to this summer. Well, the Sabre has saved you some research time. Much like the Pittsburgh example seen here (the Panthers wrap up September for UVa), all of the Web sites for the football and basketball teams' opponents have been linked in our Other Sites section. That makes it easy to check up on UVa's opponents before the opening kickoff!


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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

  • USA U19 Team Wins Gold Medal As Wright Leads With 19 Points : Virginia's Monica Wright and the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team captured the gold medal at the 2007 World Championships with a 99-57 win over Sweden on Sunday.
  • Five Cavaliers Named to the US Lacrosse National Teams Program: Five Cavaliers were named to the US Lacrosse National Teams Program. Nikki Lieb ('06), Jessy Morgan ('07), Kendall McBrearty ('08), Megan O'Malley ('08), and Jen Holden ('09) were all named to the program. Lieb returned to the Elite Team and Morgan, O'Malley, and Holden were all invited to play on the Developmental Team. McBrearty was named to the Developmental Team for the first time in her career.
  • Virginia Soccer Season Tickets on Sale Now: Season tickets for the 2007 Virginia men's and women's soccer home schedules are available for purchase now through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office.
  • Carlin Wins Washington Metropolitan Amateur: Senior golfer Greg Carlin won the 88th Annual Washington Metropolitan Amateur Championship in convincing fashion Sunday. Played at the Members Club at Four Streams, Carlin defeated Trey Treadwell 8 & 7 in the 36-hole match play final. Carlin used four birdies in his first six holes to take a lead he would never relinquish.

For more Hoo news or to read full releases, check out Virginiasports.com.

   UVa Bookstores - The Place for Wahoo Gear!

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   SabreMail History

Issue No. 254 - August 14, 2006

Kris Burd

Matoaca (VA) WR Kris Burd told TheSabre.com last Friday that he is leaning toward making a verbal commitment to the University of Virginia. Burd, a 6-1, 185-pound prospect who boasts official offers from Maryland and UVa, could commit anytime between today (his team's first practice is today) and before the beginning of school.

As a junior last season, Burd, a standout wide receiver and safety for Matoaca, made 44 receptions for 840 yards and five touchdowns before his season ended due to a broken collarbone. He earned Richmond Times-Dispatch First-Team All-Metro honors at the wide receiver position.

Salesianum (Wilmington, DE) tight end Andrew Szczerba remains uncommitted but still has Penn State and UVa at the top of his list. The 6-6, 255-pound prospect is another player who could decide at any time. The UVa staff has recruited the talented athlete very hard, so he is considered to be very high on the Cavs' prospect board.

   What's New on TheSabre.com?

Coming Soon

The Sabre has you covered when it comes to Hoo news. Here are a few of the articles to expect on the site in the coming days:

  • Countdown to Signing Day Chris Horne profiles the state of the Cavaliers' 2008 football class. Who do the Hoos focus on the rest of the way?
  • JHoo's Summer Reading JHoo's summer reading series wraps up with a look at the defensive backs.
  • Practice Coverage The Sabre will keep you informed as the Cavaliers roll through training camp.
  • 10-Day Hoo Preview The Sabre breaks out the 2007 version of its 10-Day Hoo Preview later this month. We'll cover all the positions, things to look forward to, and more!


In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Fall Practice Cheat Sheet
Image: Jameel SewellIt's going to be a long weekend. I know, I know, you've already been waiting for months since the Spring Game for fall practice to get here. But the next two days before the Virginia football opens fall practice are going to seem like forever for diehard Hoos. Never fear, The Sabre has you covered with a Fall Practice Cheat Sheet to get you ready for training camp. Here are five things to consider when practice gets under way on Monday.

Best Seat in the House: Brian Boland
Image: Coach Brian BolandVirginia men's tennis coach Brian Boland, who recently repeated as the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) State Coach of the Year, is still in the midst of a busy summer following the most successful season ever by an ACC team. Boland joined Jay James on The Best Seat in the House to talk about the offseason, Somdev Devvarman (the repeat VaSID State Player of the Year), his early recruiting classes, and more.

   Sabre Edge

Get your Wahoo fix. Subscribe to Sabre Edge!

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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