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   SabreMail - March 24, 2008
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Football Practice Under Way

The Virginia football team opened practiced Friday and eased its way into the spring season with a weekend to acclimate itself before going full speed the rest of the way. The Cavaliers begin workouts in full pads today when the "tempo of things will change" according to coach Al Groh.

Only two practices will be open the public prior to the 2 p.m. Spring Game on Saturday, April 12. The Sunday afternoon practices on March 30 and April 6 are open to fans and media; exact starting times will be announced later. Practices are held on the football practice fields adjacent to the McCue Center. With the limited chance for fans to see the team, the Sabre will keep you up to date on the spring's progress. Here are some notes from early in spring practice:

  • Cedric Peerman is a full participant. The staff will "moderate" how he's used as a matter of common sense even though he's medically cleared.
  • Different timetable/activity for the various offseason rehabilitation/surgery cases (J'Courtney Williams, Jon Bivens, Eugene Monroe, etc.).
  • One player will sit out the spring to focus on academics. Groh declined to elaborate, but said it would be apparent soon enough.
  • Center Jack Shields has been cited as one of the offseason program's top performers. Groh said that Matt Balis, the head strength and conditioning coach for football, has done an "awesome job" with the offseason program. Groh also noted that Balis pointed out a long list of high acheivers for their offseason work.
  • Peter Lalich is excited "to get out there" and get maximim turns at the QB position, according to Groh.
  • Kevin Crawford has shown positive signs of taking care of various responsibilities and a desire to continue his education and football. If conversations continue in a positive way, Groh said, the Cavs will visit possibility of him rejoining the team.
  • Aaron Clark and Denzel Burrell have started the spring in the outside linebacker spot vacated by Jermaine Dias. As a whole, Groh said that the younger outside linebackers (example: Jared Detrick) have been split evenly among the two OLB slots in order to get them more comfortable at the position.
  • Groh said the staff liked the results of the unique punting formation used in the Gator Bowl and that they are "looking at perhaps doing more of it."
  • Groh said assistant coach Wayne Lineburg, a college teammate of Mike Groh and Anthony Poindexter, is a "football guy" that is always looking to learn more and study the game more.
  • Keith Payne's needed areas of improvement, Groh said, are more of an "across the board thing" than a "this specific thing will elevate his game" situation. He said Payne needs to get better with the overall "precision of what we're doing" from a scheme and offensive standpoint.
  • Andrew Pearman is not listed on the Cavaliers' roster. Groh said Pearman is "probably not going to be part of the program" moving forward, citing a "sensitive family thing."
  • Mike Parker is listed as a corner/safety on the informal spring roster. Groh said they are "intrigued by the possibility" but also "intrigued" by some of the younger safety candidates coming up.

Other roster notes:

  • Patch Duda is a wide receiver
  • CB: Trey Womack, Vic Hall, Dom Joseph, Chase Minnifield, Mike Parker, Ras-I Dowling
  • Punters: John Thornton, Nathan Rathjen
  • PK: Chris Hinkebein
  • Max Milien at RB
  • Corey Mosley at S
  • Aaron Clark at OLB
  • J'Courtney Williams at ILB
  • Terrence Fells-Danzer at ILB
  • Aaron Taliaferro at OLB
  • Jared Detrick at OLB
  • Billy Cuffee at OG
  • B.J. Cabbell at OG
  • Landon Bradley at OT
  • Anthony Mihota at C
  • Lamar Milstead at OT
  • Matt Conrath at DE
  • Patrick Slebonick at OG
  • Zak Stair at OT/OG
  • Isaac Cain at OT
  • Mark Ambrose at TE
  • Andrew Devlin at TE (no plans to move him currently)
  • Zane Parr at DE

Kris Wright
Editor
TheSabre.com


   Recruiting News

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Basketball recruiting ...

UVa recruit Sylven Landesberg will play in Wednesday's McDonald's All-American Game. The 6-6, 195-pound Holy Cross (Flushing, N.Y.) standout is excited about the experience as he discussed it in last week's "Q&A" on the Sabre EDGE (see the links below).

The McDonald's All-American game will take place at 9:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday and will be televised by ESPN. The Powerade Jam Fest takes place today, but it will be televised on ESPN2 on Tuesday night at 11:30.

Including Virginia's Landesberg, a total of eight ACC recruits are expected to play in Wednesday night's game. Six will play for the East squad, with two playing for the West.


Football recruiting ...

The Virginia Cavaliers are off to a terrific start in the 2009 class. On Saturday, 6-2, 185-pound Orange High School (VA) standout Quintin Hunter became the fourth high school junior to commit to the staff.

Hunter, an outstanding athlete, is a two-time All-Jefferson District performer at defensive back. He exploded onto the recruiting scene at quarterback this past season, though, totaling more than 3,000 yards of offense and 30 touchdowns. He will get a chance to play quarterback at UVa, but wide receiver is the position he likely will end up playing.

One of the top rising high school seniors in the state of Virginia, Hunter boasted scholarship offers from Georgia, Maryland, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia before choosing the Hoos. For more information on his commitment, check out the Sabre EDGE article posted on Saturday night.


Virginia's four commitments have two things in common - outstanding athleticism and speed. Well, there are three things in common if you count the fact that all four project to play on the offensive side of the ball. Harrisonburg (VA) star Alex Owah and Chancellor (Fredericksburg, VA) standout Dominique Wallace are running backs, while Hunter and Good Counsel (Wheaton, MD) product Caleb Porzel are offensive athletes. Hunter is a quarterback/wide receiver, while Porzel, who has been timed in the 40 in 4.32 seconds, is a slot receiver/running back who will also be a kick and punt returner.

UVa needed to add offensive firepower in this class, and it is off to a great start with the above commitments. The running back position is likely filled, although don't be surprised if the staff adds more athletic, speedy high school running backs who could play other positions. Wide receiver certainly remains a need position, and I expect the staff to try to land at least two, likely three more prospects at the position.

For more on Virginia's 2009 class needs, check out last week's "2009 Class Needs: The Defense" article as well as the previous week's "2009 Class Needs: The Offense" article.


So when might the staff land its next commitment? Well, an early decision could come from Sherando (Stephens City, VA) quarterback Ross Metheny, who the staff offered a scholarship to last week. The 6-3, 190-pound signal caller visited the University of Georgia this past weekend and plans to visit Boston College and Connecticut this week. He plans to visit UVa over the weekend for a spring practice. If UVa has a clear edge in this race by then, then I wouldn't be at all surprised if a decision comes.

Metheny also has an offer from Connecticut and is drawing serious interest from Boston College and Georgia.

This is also a big week for Liberty (Bealeton, VA) safety Corey Lillard, who plans to visit Boston College, Duke, N.C. State, and Rutgers over the coming days. The 5-11, 208-pound prospect is very high on Virginia right now, but he is excited about these visits. If Virginia is the clear leader following these trips, a decision could come soon. If not, he may just wait until later in the spring or in the summer to make a decision.

We'll check back with both prospects this week for more on their visits.


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 ...

Cavs Continue 2009 Recruiting Success
Image: Quintin HunterThe University of Virginia football staff continued its outstanding start to the 2009 recruiting class when, earlier today, outstanding athlete Quintin Hunter verbally committed to the Cavaliers. The Orange High School (VA) standout chose Virginia over offers from Georgia, Maryland, Stanford, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

UVa Offers Sherando's Metheny
Image: Ross MethenyThe month of March has been good to Sherando (Stephens City, VA) junior quarterback Ross Metheny. In the first week of the month, the University of Connecticut became the first school to extend an official scholarship offer. And, earlier today, the 6-3, 190-pound signal caller added a second offer to the fold when the University of Virginia came through.

2009 Class Needs: The Defense
Over the past two classes, the University of Virginia coaching staff has signed a total of 22 prospects that currently reside or project on defense or special teams. Defensive back leads the way in terms of numbers with seven, but the staff has also brought in six defensive linemen and six linebackers in that span. On special teams, the staff has brought in one long snapper, one place-kicker and one punter. Prior to spring football, the top defensive need appears to be the defensive line, but also look for the staff to bring in linebackers and defensive backs as well.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...


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   News, Notes, and Fan Discussion

Blog Banter: Coattails

Chris LongSo, today was UVa's Pro Day (see the link below) and of course, scouts and coaches from across the NFL "descended on Charlottesville" to check out Chris Long, who participated in linebacker drills with Coach Groh (showcasing versatility since Long did lineman drills at the combines). And, of course he wowed everyone there, etc. etc.

I want to focus on something else. Chris Long presence attracted a number of scouts who had the opportunity to watch all the rest of his participating teammates: Branden Albert (thought of as a first round pick as well), Ian-Yates Cunnigham, Nate Lyles, Tom Santi, Jermaine Dias, Josh Zidenberg, Jonathan Stupar, Allen Billyk, Chris Gould and Ryan Weigand all likely benefited from the attention initially drawn by Long. Even former teammates Kai Parham and Ryan Best worked out under the potential eyes of all these observers.

In politics, when the person at the top of the ticket lifts the boats of those under him or her on the ballot, they call this the coattail effect. For the lack of a better word here, I think Chris Long showed off some coattail action today too.

More on Chris Long from The Good Ol' Blog: With the first pick in the draft, Chris Long selects ... | It's a culture thing.

Read more from The Good Ol' Blog here.

Robert Mahini (Vandy-Hoo)
TheSabre.com


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 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. Results will be posted by Noon the Monday following the game (excluding holidays). Please note that there will not be contests for the mid-week games this season. Also please select whether to have a weekly message sent, informing you of each week's results. Just check the 'Do not wish to be on mailing list' button if you choose not to receive our weekly message.

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


History of UVa Football Documentary

Hey there long-time Wahoo fans! Do you have any old photos or memorabilia of UVa football from the 1950s, 40s, 30s, or even earlier? Perhaps your grandfather has an old collection in the attic, or a photo hanging on the wall! Photos of Lambeth Field, players, coaches, or even just the fans! A documentary would love to photograph or scan any items that could be useful in a documentary about UVa's football history, and they promise to not only protect it with their lives, but to return it to you unharmed, and give you credit.

So look through those old dusty boxes, call up old Uncle Frank from the class of '37, and let the documentary know if you have an old photo, newspaper clipping, helmet or uniform, pennant, game ticket, postcard, program, or something else that might help tell the story of UVa football. And maybe you have an amazing story about UVa football's past that not too many people know? Like the fact that President Calvin Coolidge used to attend the season-ending game against UNC because it was THE sporting event of the year! They want to hear your stories!

If you find anything, please contact Lisa Ermatinger [email protected] at the e-mail address to discuss. Thanks and Go Hoos!


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Our advertising approach is different in that we make it abundantly clear in a direct and honest way that your company's commitment of sponsorship dollars is what enables the site to continue existing and improving into the future.

To learn more, please contact [email protected].

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To learn more about SportsWar network sponsorship opportunities, please contact [email protected] and visit the SportsWar media guide www.sportswar.com

To view a list of our sponsors, please visit our Sponsors Page.


Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

  • Virginia Hosts Old Dominion In CBI Second Round Game: The Virginia men's basketball team hosts Old Dominion in the second round of the College Basketball Invitational at John Paul Jones Arena on Monday (March 24). The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be televised by Fox College Sports.
  • Top-Ranked Cavaliers Top Clemson 6-1: The Virginia men's tennis team concluded a four-match conference road trip with a 6-1 win over No. 61 Clemson Sunday afternoon at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center. The victory was the Cavaliers' 19th consecutive win, extending their school record streak. Virginia improves to 19-0 overall this season and 5-0 in the ACC.
  • Women's Tennis Upsets No. 15 Florida State: The Virginia women's tennis team posted its biggest upset in two seasons, topping No. 15 Florida State 4-3 Sunday at the Snyder Tennis Center. Amanda Rales won the last match on the courts, rallying from a two-break deficit at 4-1 in the third set, to beat No. 68 Lauren Macfarlane to clinch the upset.
  • Farrell Grand Slam Completese Baseball's Sweep Over BC: Jeremy Farrell's grand slam broke a 4-4 tie and capped a five-run fifth inning as the No. 19 Virginia baseball team finished off a sweep of Boston College on Sunday with an 8-6 victory over the Eagles at Davenport Field. The win was Virginia's 17th straight at home, which sets a school record.
  • UVa Men's Golfers in Seventh Place at National Invitational: The Virginia men's golf team is in seventh place after the opening round at Arizona's National Invitational taking place at Tucson National. The Cavaliers shot 4-over 292 in the event that features 15 teams. TCU grabbed a big early lead, finishing at 13-under 275 to lead second place New Mexico and UNLV by 11 shots.
  • Cavalier Women's Golfers Finish 10th at Georgia: The 23rd-ranked Virginia women's golf team finished 10th at Georgia's Liz Murphey Classic in an 18-team field that featured 17 teams ranked in Golfstat's current top-50. Virginia shot 307 during Sunday's final round to complete the 54-hole event at 931. Georgia and Purdue tied for first at 900. Alabama was third at 912. The Cavaliers were led by freshman Calle Nielson who shot 72 for the second straight day to finish the event in fifth place at 6-over 222. It was Nielson's third top-10 finish in six tournament appearances this year.
  • Ohio Beats Virginia 8-3 in Final Game of Cavalier Classic: The Virginia softball team (7-20, 2-4 ACC) ended the 2008 Cavalier Classic with an 8-3 loss to Ohio Saturday at The Park. The Bobcats (9-8) outhit UVa 14-5 in the game. UVa shortstop Carly Winger was 2-for-2 at the plate with two walks and also scored a run in the loss.
  • Three Cavaliers Take First in Final Day of 49er Classic: Senior All-American Alex Tatu and sophomores Ayla Smith and Meghan Briggs led 12 Cavaliers and one relay team to top-three finishes in their events Saturday, by winning their respective events in the final day of the 49er Classic. In addition, Smith's time in the 400m hurdles was her second straight NCAA regional-qualifying mark in the event, while Briggs met the NCAA regional mark in the javelin throw.
  • No. 4 Tigers Notch Last Second Goal to Upset Second-Ranked Cavaliers: Tiger junior Christine Casaceli found the back of the net with 2.7 seconds remaining in regulation to keep No. 4 Princeton's perfect season in tact and upset the No. 2 Virginia women's lacrosse team, 8-7, Saturday afternoon in the Class of 1952 Stadium. The win moves Princeton to 6-0 on the season, while dropping the Cavaliers to 6-2 overall.
  • Virginia Women Finish 20th at NCAA Championships: The Virginia women's swimming team closed out 2008 NCAA Championships with more solid performances, including a fourth-place finish in the 200 fly from freshman Liz Shaw. Virginia racked up a total of 50 points during the three-day meet to finish in 20th place. Arizona won title with 484 team points.
  • Caponi, Henrich End Run at NCAA Championships: The Virginia wrestling team wrapped up its record-setting season Friday at the 2008 NCAA Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Chris Henrich and Rocco Caponi each competed for Virginia on Friday and were eliminated from the championships. The Cavaliers ended the evening session in 40th place in the team competition with seven points.
  • No. 2 Virginia Successful Against Bucknell In Season-Opener: In its season-opener, the No. 2-ranked Virginia rowing team won three varsity races and swept the novice events against Bucknell Friday at the Rivanna Reservoir. "I thought it was a good start to our season," head coach Kevin Sauer said. "In the first race, you never know how it will go and I thought our crews handled it well. We thank Bucknell for the trip down and wish them well the rest of their season."
  • Hunter Freeman Part Of Under-23 Men's National Team Headed To 2008 Olympics: The U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team clinched a berth to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on Thursday after defeating Canada, 3-0, at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn., in the semifinals of CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying. Former Cavalier Hunter Freeman (2002-04), a current player for the New York Red Bulls, was named to the roster as a defender in January.

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


   UVa Bookstores - The Place for Wahoo Gear!

UVa Baseball Team Caps
(Click images below for pricing on each cap)

The authentic UVa Baseball Team Caps by New Era are a great way to show your school spirit and root on the Hoos!

   SabreMail History

Issue No. 120 - January 9, 2004

Matt Schaub to play in Senior Bowl

UVa quarterback Matt Schaub has been chosen to play in the 2004 Senior Bowl in Mobile Alabama on January 24th. Sources indicate that Schaub will start for the South team, which also features quarterbacks Philip Rivers (N.C. State) and J.P. Losman (Tulane). The North team features three of the nation's top quarterbacks in Jon Navarre (Michigan), Cody Pickett (Washington) and Josh Harris (Bowling Green). Full rosters should be released on or just prior to January 18th.

Schaub broke just about every quarterback record at UVa, including touchdown passes for a career. His touchdown strike to sophomore tight end Heath Miller in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl broke Shawn Moore's record of 55. Schaub also holds records for passing yardage in a career, pass completions in a career, pass attempts in a career, as well as 300 and 200-yard passing games in a career.

   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:

  • CBI Tournament: The Sabre provides coverage of the Hoos' men's basketball team in the CBI Tournament.
  • Lacrosse notes: The Sabre takes a closer look at the men's lacrosse team and its weekend win over Johns Hopkins.
  • NFL Prospects: Jed Williams returns with a column looking at the NFL prospects of several Cavalier football players and what experts are saying about the group.


In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Cavs Easily Advance In NCAA
Image: Sharnee ZollNORFOLK - After a two-year absence from the NCAA Tournament, Sharneé Zoll and the Virginia women's basketball team returned in style on Sunday night, rolling past UC Santa Barbara 86-52 in the first round. The win came 15 days after the team's semifinal loss to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, and it took the Cavaliers most of the first half to shake off the rust.

Hoos Eke Out OT Win Vs. Hopkins
Image: Coach Dom Starsia Overtime. 10 ties and 4 lead changes. Two storied rivals - and the last two National Champions - meeting for the 80th time. A back-and-forth battle for the Doyle Smith Cup. A Klockner Stadium lacrosse attendance record of 7,579. No, lacrosse fans couldn't have asked for a much better Saturday in March. And Virginia made sure its fans didn't leave disappointed with Johns Hopkins in town. Dom Starsia's team captured a thrilling 13-12 overtime victory when Brian Carroll delivered the eruption-inducing goal with just 8 seconds remaining.

Around The Horn: Grovatt Going Early
Image: Dan GrovattFirst-year outfielder Dan Grovatt did not arrive in Charlottesville with the accolades of many of his recruiting class peers, but he did arrive with a serious work ethic and an ability to hit a baseball. That seemed evident when he hit .435 in the Orange and Blue World Series last fall. The question was could he do it when it mattered? So far, so good.

JT Earning More PT With His Play
Image: Jamil TuckerA 6-8 forward that can handle the basketball and shoot long-range jumpers. A 241-pound forward that can maneuver in traffic and battle inside. Opponents, big and small, attacking off the dribble. Multiple minutes with no rebounds. Passing up open looks. Yes, Virginia's Jamil Tucker has been a basketball enigma at times. But as his sophomore season winds down in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational, Tucker is becoming more proficient and less puzzling.

UVa Wins CBI Opener
Image: Sean SingletaryUntil the final 10 minutes Tuesday night, the Virginia basketball team looked like it was playing an exhibition game. The Cavaliers were uninterested in getting defensive stops, a trait that has plagued them for much of the season. The offense was stagnant. The crowd? Lethargic. Suddenly, everything changed. The defense improved. The Hoos hit enough shots and the fans came to life to spark a comeback against Richmond. The result was a 66-64 win in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational.

Cavaliers Impress At Pro Day
Image: Chris LongCoaches and scouts descended on Charlottesville on Tuesday for Virginia football's annual Pro Day, a chance for NFL brass to see the top Cavalier prospects before the April 26 NFL Draft. While more than a dozen players took part in the event, none were more closely watched than potential No. 1 overall pick Chris Long. Long, who put on a show at the NFL Combine last month in a performance that sent his draft stock through the roof, skipped the timing drills at Pro Day. He instead focused on linebacker position drills headed up by UVa head coach Al Groh.

Photo Gallery: Senior Night Win
Image: Sean SingletaryThe Virginia men's basketball team picked up an impressive senior night win over Maryland as the Cavaliers retired Sean Singletary's jersey. Singletary turned in a vintage performance in the victory, recording 27 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal against the Terps. Check out the action from the John Paul Jones Arena in this photo gallery.


   Sabre Edge

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