Must Read: Quayle Honored

The Daily Progress' Jerry Ratcliffe wrote an article for Saturday's newspaper about legendary Cavalier Frank Quayle, the former star running back and long-time radio booth analyst. The Virginia Football Alumni Club presented the “Order of the Crossed Sabres Award” on Friday night to Quayle for his service and dedication to UVa football. Here's what former Wahoo QB Gene Arnette had to say about Quayle:

"There wasn't a better running back in America, including (Southern Cal's) O.J. Simpson (1968 Heisman winner)," said Gene Arnette, former captain and quarterback who played alongside Quayle. "Frank was tough, elusive. Tacklers could never get their hands around him and the entire time I played with him, I do not know of a single pass that he ever dropped."

You can read Ratcliffe's full article here. TheSabre.com will present a pair of articles on Quayle in the near future as well. One is the next in "TheSabre.com Interview" series with site founder Michael Ingalls. The other comes from Bobby Sandell, who checks in with an piece reflecting on Quayle's contributions to UVa. Quayle recently retired from the Cavalier radio broadcast after 29 years on the air.

Fans of Hoo history can also read more thoughts from Arnette and other former Cavalier football standouts in a Sabre exclusive from Kevin Edds, the the Writer/Director of the documentary film "Wahoowa: The History of Virginia Cavalier Football". Edds digs into the "Varsity-Alumni Spring Football Game," a relic of bygone days in college football. Read that free feature here.

This Week In Recruiting

Football Recruiting

Be sure to check out The Good Ol Blog for a list of those prospects we confirmed were in attendance for UVa's Spring Game this past Saturday. Throughout this week, we will have reaction from those Spring Game visitors.

Sunday, I spoke with a number of Virginia's 2012 recruits, including QB Matt Johns, RB Kye Morgan, WR Kyle Dockins, TE Max Valles and S/LB Demeitre Brim. Those players discussed the Spring Game and more, and initial updates are up on the EDGE Subscriber board already. A few of these guys have made impressive gains in the weight department. A full article will be out later Monday evening.

On the 2013 front, I spoke with UVa's two commits out of Good Counsel (Olney, MD), QB Brendan Marshall and WR Andre Levrone, Jr.. The 6'2", 193-pound Levrone verbally committed to the Cavaliers last Wednesday, while on an unofficial visit. He returned to Charlottesville on Saturday for the first time as a committed player.

So far, the biggest news to come out of the Spring Game was the commitment of Varina (VA) 4-star defensive back Tim Harris. The 6'2", 180-pound junior is a major get for Virginia, which won out over offers from Michigan, Ohio State and Virginia Tech, among others. With Harris and Levrone in the fold, UVa now has four class of 2013 commitments in the fold.

Basketball Recruiting

South Carolina freshman transfer Anthony Gill was in Charlottesville last Friday through Sunday. According to Gill's former AAU coach Rick Lewis, the 6'8", 235-pound power forward will next take a visit to Ohio State. Lewis reported the information on Twitter late Sunday night:

"6'8" Anthony Gill (USC) will visit Ohio State in the next week or two. Decision will come down to UVA or OSU (IMO)"

We hope to have more on Gill's Virginia visit and future plans as soon as possible this week, so stay tuned. We'll also catch up on any other potential transfer news.

UVa missed out on its top point guard transfer target last week, when sophomore T.J. McConnell decided to transfer from Duquesne to Arizona. The decision came down to the Wildcats and Cavaliers.

Later this weekend, TheSabre.com will head to Alexandria, Virginia, for the 2012 Capital Classic. Virginia 2012 signees Justin Anderson, Evan Nolte and Mike Tobey are all expected to play in the event, so stay tuned for full coverage over the weekend.

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 since the last SabreMail ...

Notes: Levrone Discusses Decision
Andre Levrone, Jr., didn't intend on verbally committing to the University of Virginia on Wednesday, when he and his parents were in Charlottesville for a visit, but he returned home as a member of UVa's 2013 class. So what spurred him on to make the pledge to Mike London?

Cavs Gain 4-Star Commitment
The Virginia football program scored some big news following today's Spring Game. After watching the Orange defeat the Blue 20-17 at Scott Stadium this afternoon, Varina (VA) junior defensive back Tim Harris made a verbal commitment to the Cavaliers. The 6'2", 180-pound prospect, rated a 4-star recruit by Rivals.com, chose the 'Hoos over offers from California, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers, Tennessee and Virginia Tech

Mizzell's Offseason Success Continues
Whether it's in the form of a new offer or a new achievement, the talent of Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA) junior tailback Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell has been recognized quite often this offseason. Just last week he scored an offer from West Virginia, and this week the 5'11", 185-pound standout learned that he has been selected to play in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• In-State Prospects Impress At Richmond VTO
• UVa Strikes Again At Good Counsel
• More On OLB/TE Commit Trent Corney
• Recruiting: Confirmed Spring Game Visitors (blog)
• In-State FB Recruiting Offer Updates (blog)

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Men's Tennis Posts 6th Straight Unbeaten ACC Season

Courtesy VirginiaSports.com

The third-ranked Virginia men's tennis team completed its sixth consecutive undefeated ACC regular season with a 6-1 victory over No. 63 Miami on Sunday in its regular season finale the Snyder Tennis Center. The Cavaliers (21-1, 11-0 ACC) extended its win streak to 14 straight matches, while the Hurricanes fell to 8-12 overall, 1-10 in the conference.

"I am proud of the guys," said head coach Brian Boland. "It was another great regular season and we are looking forward to starting the postseason. We have been improving, both as a team and as individuals, throughout the season and will look to keep improving as we enter the ACC and NCAA Tournaments."

The win was Virginia's 89th consecutive victory against ACC competition, extending its conference record.

The Cavaliers will be the top seed at next week's ACC Tournament, held April 19-22 in Cary, N.C. Virginia will have a first round bye and will open play on Friday in the quarterfinals. The Cavaliers will be looking for their sixth consecutive ACC Tournament title.

NewsLink - Hoo News 365 Days A Year!

TheSabre.com updates its NewsLink page 365 days a year with links to articles, blog posts, and more about the Hoos. Tuesday's NewsLink included a Washington Post article on Danny Aiken, the four-year starting long snapper for Virginia, as he waits out the NFL lockout with hopes of signing a free agent contract. Read that article here and make sure to check out NewsLink every day!

Give The EDGE As a Gift!

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Top-Ranked Cavaliers Sweep Six Races at UVa Invitational: The No. 1 Virginia rowing team swept six races Sunday on the final day of the UVa Invitational on Lake Monticello. It was the squad's final tune-up before competing in the ACC Championships on April 21 in Clemson, S.C. The Cavaliers defeated both No. 14 Cornell and No. 19 Minnesota in five races, including the first Varsity Eight, where UVa finished the 2,000-meter course comfortably in 6:29.5. The Big Red placed second in 6:42.2 and the Golden Gophers were third in 6:48.7.
• Cavalier Women's Tennis Posts 4-3 Win at Florida State: The No. 15 Virginia women's tennis team concluded its regular season with a 4-3 win at No. 33 Florida State on Sunday at the Scott Speicher Tennis Center. Caryssa Peretz rallied from down a break in the third set of the decisive singles match to give the Cavaliers (16-6, 7-4 ACC) their seventh ACC win of the season, tying the school record.
• Virginia Women's Golfers Finish Fifth at ACC Championships: The 25th-ranked Virginia women's golf team finished fifth at ACC Championships held at the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. Virginia shot 16-over 300 for the second consecutive day to finish the 54-hole event at 903. The Cavaliers are off until May 10-12 when they compete at one of three NCAA Regional sites for a chance to advance to the NCAA Championships to be held this year in Nashville, Tenn., May 22-25.
• Vena Breaks School Record in Shot Put at Patriot Open Invitational: Freshman Nick Vena broke the school record in the shot put as the throwers of the Virginia men's and women's track and field teams competed at the Patriot Open Invitational in Fairfax. Vena finished first in the shot put with a mark of 19.27m (63' 2.75"), which came on his last attempt. Senior Vincenzo Chiariello won the men's hammer throw in with a distance of 60.73m (199' 3").
• No. 8 North Carolina Holds Off No. 23 Virginia Baseball: No. 8 North Carolina scored four runs in the first inning and never trailed in downing the No. 23 Virginia baseball team 5-3 Sunday afternoon at Davenport Field. The Sunday attendance of 4,422 gave UVa a weekend total of 13,675, the most in program history for a regular-season series. With the win the Tar Heels (27-9, 12-6 ACC) swept the three-game series and became the first ACC team to sweep the Cavaliers at Davenport Field since Georgia Tech from May 9-11, 2003.
• No. 1 Virginia Falls to No. 7 Duke on Senior Night, 13-5: The No. 7 Duke Blue Devils (11-3, 2-1 ACC) used a 6-0 run in the second half to elevate itself past the No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers (10-2, 2-1) on Friday night, 13-5, in front of 7,234 fans inside Klockner Stadium. With the loss, Duke claims the No. 1 seed in next weekend's ACC Championship and plays Maryland at 5 p.m. UVa earns the No. 2 seed and will play North Carolina at 7:30 p.m., also at Klockner.
• Virginia Earns No. 4 Seed at 2012 ACC Women's Lacrosse Championship: Pairings for the 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship were announced by the league on Saturday. Virginia will be the tournament's No. 4 seed and will face No. 5 seed Boston College on Friday at noon in Durham, N.C. The game will be televised by the ACC's Regional Sports Networks (Comcast SportsNet in the Charlottesville area).
• Cavaliers Fall at Maryland, 8-0: The Virginia softball team (20-21, 5-10 ACC) fell at Maryland 8-0 in five innings Sunday at Taylor Stadium in College Park, Md. The Terps (23-17, 3-6 ACC) swept the series with the Cavaliers after taking a doubleheader on Saturday.
• Sears Set to Join Volleyball Program: Virginia head volleyball coach Dennis Hohenshelt announced Friday that Kayla Sears has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Cavalier volleyball program this fall. A native of Moorpark, Calif., Sears was named a 2011 AAU Junior National All-American.

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

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Issue No. 421 - November 23, 2009

Blog Banter: More On A "Developing System"

After watching two home games last week from Tony Bennett's basketball bunch, Sabre Editor Kris Wright provided these thoughts on the blog:

In Saturday's game story about the UVa men's basketball team's 76-55 win against Oral Roberts, I wrote that there are "signs of a developing system. There is more screening action making its way on to the floor while the spacing continues to create opportunities. Plus, the Hoos have fed the post consistently."

After spreading the floor and attacking with four guards frequently against Longwood and South Florida, partially out of necessity with limited post options, the Cavaliers have started to sprinkle in more modified Blocker/Mover style sets. This is creating movement with the guards working through off-ball screens, open shots, and post touches. Statistically, the Hoos shot 51.8% against Rider and 45.5% against Oral Roberts. Certainly, what we've seen in the latter games this week is not the full Tony Bennett offensive system from Washington State nor has it been picture perfect with execution and decision-making. One thing it has been, though? Progressing.

"We're running some 3 out, 2 in. When you've got two power players and trying to get some touches [down there] and then we're running some sets with it," Bennett said. "It's not what I've done typically in the past with as much motion probably and as much screening and all of that, but we're just trying to get good spacing on the floor, give guys opportunities to use the dribble, and get some paint touches off the pass or the dribble. That's sort of what we're doing with some sets [mixed in]. Sometimes when we get going a little fast or we're getting sloppy, we try to reel them in and get the right guys shots."

Make sure to follow the updates on The Good Ol Blog!

Read SabreMail No. 421 here.

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: The Cavaliers have finished spring practice. The Sabre will roll out more coverage of what stood out this spring for the Hoos.
• Frank Quayle: TheSabre.com catches up with Frank Quayle for a future article on the site.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Orange Tops Blue In Spring Game
The Virginia football team concluded its spring season with the Orange and Blue game on a warm April afternoon at Scott Stadium. The Hoos were split into two teams with the first team offense and second team defense in orange and the first team defense and second team offense in blue. The Orange prevailed 20-17.

The Varsity-Alumni Spring Game
This Saturday when Michael Rocco first steps under center for the Cavaliers during the UVa spring football game, imagine his reaction if he saw 6'5" 245-pound Chris Slade lining up on the other side of the line of scrimmage, wearing his New England Patriots helmet. And what if on the other end he saw 6'3" 270-pound Chris Long of the St. Louis Rams digging his cleats in, while in a three-point stance, wearing his St. Louis Rams helmet ready to barrel down on Rocco?

Diamond Scouting Report: UNC
After spotting George Washington 4 runs in the first inning on Wednesday night, the Virginia baseball team scored 16 unanswered runs to win its 15th straight home game at Davenport Field by thrashing the Colonials 16-4. The current homestand really heats up now with another important ACC weekend series against long-time rival UNC. Here is a brief scouting report.

UVa's Offense Needs A Middle Man
Virginia lost quite a few starters from last season's bowl team and one of the most important positions to replace is at center on the offensive line where Anthony Mihota started all but one game the last two seasons. With an experienced group of players dotting the offensive roster, finding a center that can handle the snaps and at least some of the protection calls is an important piece of the puzzle for the upcoming season. Read about that and more in this package of EDGE notes.

Photo Gallery: Spring Practice 2012
The Virginia football team continues its spring practice work this week before the annual spring game on Saturday at 2 p.m. Get a look at the Hoos in practice before they hit Scott Stadium this weekend with a spring practice photo gallery. This free 100-image photo gallery features coach Mike London, Perry Jones, Dominique Terrell, Demetrious Nicholson, and many other Cavaliers.

Diamond Scouting Report: GW
The Virginia baseball team completed the weekend sweep of Wake Forest on Monday night and won its 14th straight home game at Davenport Field. The current homestand continues with a mid-week game against George Washington University on Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m. Here is a brief scouting report on GW.

Gooch Eyes Role At Wideout
Spring practice gives Cavalier fans a preview of what to expect in the fall. It shows how far key players have come since the end of last season. Practice also provides a chance for backups to move into a more significant role. Along those lines, wide receiver Miles Gooch, already a fan favorite, hopes for big things in 2012.

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