Spring Football Keeps Rolling

The Virginia football team is off and running with spring practice this month. After a pair of early morning practices in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers hit Hampton on Saturday for a road practice. TheSabre.com's Blair Capps attended the Hampton practice. Here's a sneak peek at her report that will hit the EDGE later Monday.

The city of Hampton and the Tidewater UVa community welcomed the team with open arms on Saturday, even painting a V-Sabre in the middle of the field. London, a native of the area, has been committed to taking the program on the road and reaching out to fans across the state, but returning to Darling Stadium, where many area high schools play their games, was a special moment for him.

"It was a surreal experience just walking on the field here just knowing that a long time ago I played here," London said. "This is a feeling of home. Coming back here, getting back around family members and friends, and people that have known me for a while - Charlie Brown, who coached at Bethel High School, who I hadn't seen since I graduated, was here. Being able to get out of Charlottesville and get down here was special. We were around a lot of good people."

There are chances to see the Cavaliers for the next three Saturdays as well. The team will hold an open practice and scrimmage from 1-3 p.m. at Episcopal High School's Hummel Bowl in Alexandria, Va. on Saturday, March 26. The gates will open at noon and admission to the event is free. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a free Virginia football T-Shirt. Promotional tables will be set up at the stadium's entrances and each fan will receive a roster/autograph card and have an opportunity to enter to win raffle prizes. Prizes include: a pair of season tickets, tickets for UVa individual home games, an LCD television, a trip to a Virginia road game, a Cavalier helmet and football signed by head coach Mike London and a personalized Virginia football jersey. Fan-friendly activities will be set up on the practice field adjacent to Hummel Bowl starting at noon, including the UVa bounce house and target toss. Following the practice, there will be a 30-minute autograph session in these areas. The event will conclude at approximately 3:30 p.m. There will be a food drive to benefit the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) in conjunction with the practice. The AFAC is in need of cereal and other breakfast items, pasta, and peanut butter at this time.

On Saturday, April 2, the Hoos will hold the Orange-Blue spring football game at Scott Stadium. Admission will be free following the conclusion of the men's lacrosse contest. The football team will take the field approximately five minutes after the conclusion of the men's lacrosse team's game with Maryland, which begins at noon. The football team's Orange-Blue spring game will begin after a warm-up period that will last approximately 35 minutes. On Saturday, April 9, the team's practice at the McCue Center football practice fields is also open to the public from noon to 2 p.m.; there is another open session on Friday, April 8 (6-8 a.m.).

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Thomas Dale (Chester, VA) safety/wide receiver Desmond Frye scored an offer from the Cavaliers last week. The 6-3, 190-pound junior followed up with a visit to Charlottesville on Sunday. We'll have more with Frye, an "athlete" recruit for the Hoos, this week.

Thomas Dale's standout prospect also took an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech on Saturday. The Hoos and Hokies have offered Frye, who is expected to make a commitment before the start of his senior season, perhaps as early as this spring.

Other articles in the plans this week ...

• Dorman (Roebuck, VA) offensive lineman Patrick Destefano boasts more than 20 offers including one from the University of Virginia. Destefano talks recruiting, including which visits he plans on making this spring and summer.
• Brookville (Lynchburg, VA) defensive tackle Korren Kirven boasts double-digit offers. We'll have a feature profile on one of the state's best prospects in the 2012 class.
• Stay tuned for more info on spring visitors.
• A second segment of "Catching Up With The 2011 Class" will be posted with a focus on this past weekend's practice in Hampton. Last week's edition included comments from Demetrious Nicholson, Anthony Harris, Thompson Brown and Adrian Gamble.

Jesperson, Merrill fall short of a state title

Paul Jesperson's stellar high school career came to an end last week, with Merrill (WI) finishing as the WIAA Division 2 state runner-up.

Last Friday night, the 6-7, 185-pound senior turned in an outstanding performance in the Blue Jays' 55-52 state semifinal win over top ranked Waunakee. Jesperson scored 27 points, including 16 straight points in the fourth quarter, for the win. Whitefish Bay proved to be too much for Merrill in the state championship game, though, as the Blue Jays fell 65-49. In his final high school game, Jesperson, a 4-year starter on the varsity level, scored 22 points, pulled down six boards, and had three steals.

Merrill concluded the 2010/2011 season with a 16-12 record.

Stay tuned for more with Jesperson this week, as we'll catch up with the sharp-shooting wing for more on Merrill's great run in the state playoffs. We also hope to have more with Milton (GA) forward Evan Nolte, a 6-8 junior who scored an offer from the Hoos last summer.

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 ...

Catching Up With The 2011 Class

UVa-Bound Brogdon Concludes Stellar Career

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• South County's Vandyke Up To Four Offers
• Richlands' Hess Updates Recruitment
• Christchurch Notes: Homer Planning June Decision

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Visit Carilion Clinic's Know the Five Signs of Stroke or Heart Attack website linked here to learn more.

Football Season Tickets On Sale

Season tickets for 2011 Virginia football home games are on sale to all fans starting today (March 21). The season ticket price in all lower level sections and the upper level sideline sections is $270 - the same price as last season. New this year are three specially priced season ticket options in Scott Stadium's upper level, starting at $125 for the general public or $99 for UVa faculty and staff. Additionally, a new $99 Young Alumni option is available for 2007-2011 Virginia graduates. Season ticket holders from 2010 will receive email and ticket renewal applications the week of March 21. The priority ordering and seating deadline is April 30 and a four-month payment plan is offered for season ticket orders placed before May 1.

"Our fan base will be an important part of creating a great home field advantage," said Executive Associate Athletics Director Jon Oliver. "Coach London needs our continued support as he takes the next step with the football program. We are introducing a number of new options and we will continue to offer the popular payment plan option to make it as easy as possible for people to buy their season tickets. Our hope is our fans will find a season ticket option that works for them because our success depends on their passionate support."

Under second-year coach Mike London, the Cavaliers' seven game home schedule includes dates with William & Mary (Sept. 3), Southern Mississippi (Sept. 24), Idaho (Oct. 1), Georgia Tech (Oct. 15), N.C. State (Oct. 22), Duke (Nov. 12) and Virginia Tech (Nov. 26).

"I'm excited about where we're going as a football program," said Virginia football head coach Mike London. "I've heard from a lot of people that they appreciated the passion and energy the team displayed last season. I've been on the sidelines when Scott Stadium was sold out and I can tell you it's an intimidating place to play. I hope our season ticket holders from last year will renew their tickets and our fan base will take advantage of these new season ticket options. They will definitely help our football program on Saturdays this fall."

Remember, TheSabre.com set up its football schedule page for fans; remember that each game will have a game information page once the season begins.

Women's Swimming 13th At NCAA Championships

UVa Athletics Media Relations Official Release

The Virginia women's swimming team placed 13th at the 2011 NCAA Championships which concluded Saturday in Austin, Texas. Sophomores Meredith Cavalier and Lauren Perdue and senior Katya Bachrouche, in addition to the 400 freestyle relay team, earned honorable mention All-America honors on the final day of competition. It marks the fourth consecutive year the Cavaliers have placed among the top 20 nationally. The Cavaliers concluded the championships with 11 national honors.

Six Virginia seniors - Katya Bachrouche, Claire Crippen, Hannah Davis, Kristen Moores, Anne Summer Myers and Liz Shaw - concluded their collegiate careers at these championships. They will go down as the most successful class in school history after being the first to leave with four Atlantic Coast Conference titles.

Bachrouche, who earned her first career honorable mention All-America honor on the first night of the championships in the 500 freestyle, put together a lifetime best time of 16:03.52 in the 1650 freestyle. That mark was good enough for 10th place and another honorable mention accolade. Perdue collected honorable mention All-America accolades with an 11th-place performance in the 100 freestyle. She clocked a time of 48.24 in the event and finished third in the consolation final. Cavalier earned her first career honorable mention All-America accolade in the 200 backstroke on Saturday night. She finished fifth in the consolation final in a time of 1:54.35 to place 13th overall in the event. The 400 freestyle relay team of Perdue, Moores, Davis and freshman Emily Lloyd capped the meet with a 10th-place showing. They finished in 3:15.74 and became the third UVa relay at the championships to earn either All-America or honorable mention All-America accolades.

Read the full article.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Virginia Defeats Loyola, 71-49, in WNIT Second Round: Virginia defeated Loyola (Md.) on the road, 71-49, in the second round of the 2011 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). UVa juniors Ariana Moorer and Chelsea Shine, along with rookie Ataira Franklin all scored 14 points apiece to lead the Cavaliers. Virginia advances to the round of 16 in the postseason tournament and will host a familiar opponent - ACC foe Boston College - at John Paul Jones Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m.
• UVa Wins Series Against FSU: The Virginia baseball team took the best-of-three weekend series from Florida State by winning two games against the Seminoles. All three games of the series went to extra innings. On Friday, junior third baseman Steven Proscia belted the game-winning hit, driving in John Hicks to lift the Cavaliers to a 4-3 triumph. On Saturday, Jared King led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a walk-off homer to left, giving Virginia its 13th consecutive victory with a 5-4 win. Florida State outlasted Virginia 12-11 in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon to avoid the sweep.
• Cavaliers Rally For 5-2 Win at Texas: The Virginia men's tennis team remained unbeaten on the season as it rallied in singles for a 5-2 win over No. 6 Texas on Sunday afternoon. The Cavaliers came back from losing the doubles point and dropping four first sets in singles to get the win and improve to 18-0 this season.
• Women’s Tennis Suffers 4-3 Loss at Maryland: The No. 11 Virginia women's tennis team suffered its first ACC loss of the season, falling to No. 34 Maryland 4-3 Sunday afternoon. The Cavaliers fall to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in the ACC.
• Bratton and Stanwick Lead No. 2 UVa Over No. 20 Ohio State: Rhamel Bratton and Steele Stanwick scored four goals apiece and Chris Bocklet added three scores to pace the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers (7-1) to a 14-11 triumph over the No. 20 Ohio State Buckeyes (5-3) on Saturday afternoon.
• Eighth-Ranked Cavaliers Hold on For 10-9 Victory Over No. 15 Princeton: The No. 8 Virginia women's lacrosse team used scrappy defense and streaky scoring to hold off No. 15 Princeton Saturday afternoon at Klockner Stadium, 10-9. The one-goal margin of victory marks the 14th time in the programs' 30-game history that the game has been decided by just one score.
• Cavalier Golfers Finish Third at Schenkel Invitational: The 17th-ranked Virginia men's golf team finished third at the Schenkel Invitational with a 54-hole score of 6-under 858. The Cavaliers shot 5-over 293 during Sunday's final round. Florida and Auburn tied for first place at 16-under 848. The Tigers defeated the Gators on the first playoff hole to claim the team championship. Virginia was led by Ben Kohles' fifth place finish at 5-under 211.
• Valenti Joins Henrich As All-Americans: Derek Valenti earned All-America honors at 149 pounds Friday evening at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Just hours after Chris Henrich clinched All-America honors, Valenti became the 13th All-American in program history with a 9-7 victory over Michigan's Eric Grajales. It marks the first time Virginia has boasted two All-Americans in a season since 2004 and the fourth time in program history. Henrich took sixth place at 174 pounds and Valenti notched eighth place at 149 pounds at the NCAA Wrestling Championships.

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

Virginia Baseball Play Ball T-Shirt

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The Virginia Baseball Play Ball T-Shirt features a front left chest imprint with the V-Sabre over Virginia Baseball. The back of this UVA baseball T-Shirt also features a V-Sabre and Virginia Baseball surrounding a white Play Ball imprint. Instead of a typical "A" in the word Ball, there is a silhouette of a baseball player swinging.

Issue No. 352 - July 28, 2008

Olympic Connections
Virginia Athletic Media Relations Official Release

Nine individuals with connections to University of Virginia athletics are headed to China for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The group traveling to Beijing includes six former Cavalier varsity student-athletes, one incoming student-athlete, a current Virginia coach and a former club sport participant at UVa.

The former Cavalier student-athletes competing at the games include Angela Hucles (women's soccer), Melanie Kok (women's rowing), Vanja Rogulj (men's swimming), Ruby Rojas (softball), and Lindsay Shoop (women's rowing). In addition, former Cavalier basketball standout Dawn Staley is traveling to China as an assistant coach with the U.S. women's basketball team. Erika Stewart (incoming first year on the women's swimming team), Adam Nelson (graduate student at the Darden School of Business and a volunteer assistant coach with the UVa track and field team), and Wyatt Allen (a graduate of the University and former rower with the UVa men's rowing club team) will also compete in Beijing.

Check Out SabreMail #352.

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 soon:

• Spring Football: TheSabre.com is the place to be for spring football coverage!
• Spring Sports: TheSabre.com will start to crank up its spring coverage as April approaches. Stay tuned for articles on baseball, lacrosse, tennis, and more.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Details Part Of UVa's Defensive Mindset
When UVa Defensive Coordinator Jim Reid spoke with the media on Monday, he emphasized the need for better consistency on defense. Linebacker Steve Greer said Friday that the Cavaliers are dialed in on improving the details of defense. Coach Mike London talked about responsibility with details. In other words, the Cavaliers are focused on improving the product on defense this spring.

Hoos Participate In Pro Day
Scouts and coaches from 17 NFL teams descended on Charlottesville on Thursday morning for Virginia football's annual Pro Day, a chance to evaluate the seniors and juniors on the team who hope to make the step into the NFL. Keith Payne, Dontrelle Inman, Danny Aiken, Zane Parr, and other Hoos all took part in the event.

Running Backs To Compete For Time
Virginia head football coach Mike London and his offensive coordinator Bill Lazor have a couple of big holes to fill behind the line of scrimmage. The most obvious question facing the Cavalier offense is who will be the leader under center now that senior Marc Verica has graduated. However, another interesting battle is heating up the backfield, one that should be fun to watch.

Cavaliers Start Practice Early
The Virginia football team is getting an early start - really early start - on practice in Mike London's second spring at UVa. The Cavaliers begin their spring work with a pair of 6 a.m. sessions on Wednesday and Friday; both practices are open to the public. The Hoos also have five other open practices on March 19 (Saturday at Darling Stadium in Hampton), March 26 (Saturday at Episcopal High School in Alexandria), April 2 (Spring Game at Scott Stadium), April 8 and April 9

"Great Ride" Winding Down For Ryan
Virginia women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan announced that she was resigning from her position Saturday, bringing an end to a 34-year career that saw the Virginia women's program blossom into a national powerhouse. In a somber press conference Monday afternoon, Ryan expressed gratitude for what she described as a large amount of positive feedback she had received after her announcement and for a "great ride" as UVa's coach.

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