Designated for Assignment

Waving bye to the national poll

2008-04-07T18:00:00-05:00

There is no shame in losing - or being swept - at Florida State in baseball. Lots of teams have done that during the Mike Martin era. Geez, the man has over 1,400 wins. But getting swept this weekend was costly for Virginia - and on numerous fronts. The Cavaliers (8-7) not only fell into fourth place in the Coastal Division a game behind Georgia Tech (9-6), but they inched closer to the dreaded ninth spot overall in the league standings. Finish ninth or tied for eighth with a team that you lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with and you watch the ACC Tournament on a computer in your dorm room. Boston College swept Duke (good news since UVa lost its series) this weekend to rejoin the mix and Maryland lost a game at Virginia Tech (more good news), but 11 teams appear alive in the fight for an invite to Jacksonville, Fla.
FSU, Miami and North Carolina are locks. Clemson, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State should be OK, but are jammed in the middle with Virginia and feeling the pressure of the typical also-rans.
Is it time for panic mode in Hooville? No. Not even close. The Cavaliers still have a couple of weekend sets that they will be favored in (at Maryland, vs. Georgia Tech, vs. Wake Forest), but the losses are starting to add up, which could eliminate the slim chance of hosting another regional in the NCAA Tournament.
The bigger issue, at in the eyes of this not-so-qualified critic, deals with the play of the juniors. Freshmen, or whatever Thomas Jefferson wanted them called, are expected to struggle (Hence the reason Brian O’Connor scheduled so many home games early), but the veterans must deliver. Is RHP Jacob Thompson concerned with a payday coming after the MLB Draft in June? Is SS Greg Miclat still hurting? Is 2B David Adams playing tenative? The numbers might support each. It is not uncommon for veteran to develop issues in their third season of college. At this point, all three, including 1B Jeremy Farrell and possibly now RHP Andrew Carraway, are intriguing draft picks, but that will come on a sour note if Virginia is misses the postseason. Left that happen and suddenly, the CBI would not sound so bad.

Back from the dead …

2008-01-11T06:02:01-05:00

After noticing that my pal, Whitey Reid, had avoided getting a haircut and had been cranking out a few blogs, well, I knew it was time to resurface.
I wish I could blame my absence on a tropical vacation. Ha. No such luck. Coupled between a trip to the Gator Bowl - a unique experience in itself - and a jaunt down to Wake Forest to watch Debbie Ryan cruise to her 3,000th victory (or whatever the total is by now), this body has covered its share of miles and battled numerous flu bugs.
Oddly enough, this is a pivotal time for the Virginia football program. Scholarships are on the table. Coaches are being pulled (or pushed) in certain directions. Fun stuff.
Luckily, the Al Groh-to-Miami rumors have ceased. Why would a guy want to work for his best friend anyway?
That, however, does not mean Virginia will not lose a member of its staff to the Dolphins.
Vincent Brown, a graduate assistant, was given a job by Bill Parcells in Dallas before the “Big Tuna” rolled out like tumbleweed.
Why would Brown not be on Parcells’ radar now?
I have heard in the last few days, however, that Virginia’s head man would love to keep Brown. That, of course, would entail finding a new job or role for special teams/linebackers coach Bob Diaco.
Perhaps the Mike London-to-Richmond ordeal would solve some of that. But I doubt it.
An outsider could tell that the special teams operation at UVa was lacking what Groh wanted after Anthony Poindexter, the running backs coach, was thrust onto the scene to help as much as possible.
My people also tell me that Jim Jones, the other grad assistant, made quite the impression on the coaching staff.
It would be hard to keep Jones without moving Bob Price from his post coaching linebackers - Price did coach on the defensive side of the ball throughout the early stages of his career.
Before I forget, I also heard from a scribe at a Miami-area newspaper that Mike Groh’s name had been kicked around in some circles.
Miami, as some may know, is looking for a wide receivers coach (David Lee took the QB job).
And that brings up another simple question: Do you really want to work for your dad forever?
Better yet, do you really want to hear constant smack-talking from fans of the school that love and played for?
Last I checked, Mike was not the guy running the poor routes that led to scrambles or interceptions.
Sure, he could have called better plays, but the same could be said for almost every coordinator in the ACC.
Perhaps it’s time for Mike to move on and make a name for himself.
Regardless, these are meaningful days. Stay tuned.

BC beats out Virginia

2007-12-18T13:54:00-05:00

As most expected, Virginia lost out on New Jersey tight end Chris Pantale this weekend.
Pantale, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound recruit from Wayne Valley (N.J.), gave a verbal to Boston College over the weekend.
In his senior season, one that included an appearance in the state title game at Giants Stadium, Pantale had 26 receptions for 385 yards and six touchdowns.
Virginia, one of 15 schools to offer Pantale, had hinted that using Pantale at defensive end was also a possibility. The open-ended option made sense - Pantale had 16 sacks.
Perhaps the Cavaliers saw the writing on the wall on this one. They did, in fact, offer and land Highland Springs tight end Rod Wheeler earlier this month.

At last ticket count …

2007-12-10T18:23:00-05:00

Sales of tickets for Virginia’s upcoming trip to the Gator Bowl has been a hot topic among school’s cheering section. According to a university source, the last figure tossed around was 8,400. The school is also expected to announce an option to buy tickets and have those turned over to a certain charitable cause (perhaps a branch of the military) in the Jacksonville area. Stay tuned. ... Also, Virginia landed a commitment earlier this morning. Austin Pasztor, a 16-year-old senior at Fork Union, gave his verbal to the Cavaliers’ staff. For whatever reason, the offensive tackle from Canada flew under the radar. Check Tuesday’s edition of The Daily Progress for further details.

Who is No.1? It’s Virginia in one category

2007-12-10T16:08:00-05:00

As a youngster, Sunday night meant a post-church trip to McDonald’s for a tasty treat, typically a strawberry sundae.
For the past few years, the Golden Arches have missed my coinage. Instead, I have spent the winter months stuck surfing the Web to submit my weekly AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll. As most on the poll do, I take it rather serious. In my opinion, it’s a reflection of those I work with and for.
My most recent search to discover the nation’s best, a tough art early in the season, led me to pan the strength of schedules for the team’s battling for my vote.
In doing so, this keyboard slapper noticed something that ACC fans would take notice of: Virginia has played the hardest schedule - among league members - in the eyes of the computer system operated by hoops guru Jerry Palm.
The Cavaliers (6-4) have played six teams ranked among the Top 50 in RPI. Those are as follows: UConn (No. 2), George Washington (No. 27), Hartford (No. 32), Minnesota (No. 33), South Carolina (No. 47) and Wisconsin (No. 50). Virginia, ranked 10th in the nation in strength of schedule, won only two of its games over those foes, but wins over Richmond and Texas, ranked 88th and 89th, helped jump Debbie Ryan’s program into a prime RPI position, a factor in determining the NCAA field.
In case you care, here are the ACC rankings nationally in terms of schedule strength: Virginia (No. 10), Duke (No. 15), Maryland (No. 20), Clemson (No. 33), Georgia Tech (No. 37), Wake Forest (No. 75), Virginia Tech (No. 119), Florida State (No. 120), North Carolina (No. 152), Boston College (No. 231) and N.C. State (No. 238).
Virginia does have a few cupcakes coming soon, but congrats to the coaching staff for scheduling well. Of course, a loss in the opening game of the three-day, eight-team tournament in Hawaii would have thrust the Cavs down quite a ways as they would have played lower-tiered teams.

Long finishes 10th in Heisman voting

2007-12-09T04:50:00-05:00

Official word came down about the Heisman voting this evening and Virginia has landed its fifth-ever Top 10 finisher (Blogging Correction: It was learned after publishing that Herman Moore placed fifth in 1990, giving UVa five, not four as previously listed in this spot).
UVa defensive end Chris Long secured one first-place vote, two second-place votes and was listed by 10 voters as the third-best football player in the country. In all, Long brought home 17 points, finishing 13 points behind LSU defensive end Glenn Dorsey.
According to a release from UVa, “All-star halfback Bill Dudley was fifth in 1941, quarterback Shawn Moore was fourth in 1990 and running back Thomas Jones was eighth in 1999.”
Ponder this over a pint glass of eggnog: Who will be the sixth Cavalier to finish in the Top 10?
Could it be Cedric Peerman next season? If character matters, well, C.P. would open the season on many ballots.
How about quarterback Jameel Sewell or scatback Mikell Simpson in ‘09? Sewell will have gaudy career stats by the end, but he must continue to progress. Simpson would have to hold off Keith Payne and a stable full of wannabe replacements.
Peter Lalich in 2010 would some sense, but only as a senior. He certainly wants to pass that much for Virginia.
Maybe, just maybe, the answer lives in Connecticut at this point and plays tailback. Does the name “Torrey Mack” ring a bell? It should.

A record for Takeem, a trophy for Lauren and a title for Central Virginia

2007-12-08T20:25:00-05:00

The celebration on the field was priceless. Monticello’s players danced around - as usual. The fans in the stands at Liberty’s Williams Stadium rejoiced with thunderous cheers. Central Virginia, you have a VHSL football title to cherish once again. Monticello won the Group AA, Division 3 crown today, knocking off Richlands 36-22. ... In the process, Monticello tailback Takeem Hedgeman set the VHSL record for touchdowns in a season by finding the end zone three times to push his total to 51. After the game, Lauren Bicknell, the daughter of MHS coach Brud Bicknell, was all smiles as she sat in a wheelchair on the field with a game ball resting in her lap. Bicknell, 17, was injured in a car wreck just eight days ago. ... For now, it’s time to crank out a notebook on the game, but check Sunday’s edition of The Daily Progress for complete coverage from the contest.

Crown the ‘Stangs: Monticello 36, Richlands 22 (Final)

2007-12-08T19:34:00-05:00

Monticello has some new hardware - the Mustangs have held off Richlands. A have to scoot for interviews, but I will be back to give you an update from the field.

Staying alive: Monticello 36, Richlands 22 (4th Qtr.)

2007-12-08T19:26:00-05:00

With 1:57 left, Richlands has the ball at the Monticello 13 for what will be a third-down play. ... We had a small delay for issues with the clock, but that was cleared up. ... On third down, Richlands QB Joel Elswick passed to his tailback, Romulo Fajardo, who dove forward for a 1-yard gain. Richlands called timeout with 1:40 left. ... The fourth-down play was broken up by Monticello LB Chris Black. This one is over.

Banks brings the noise: Monticello 36, Richlands 22 (4th Qtr.)

2007-12-08T19:22:00-05:00

As Richlands was moving the ball primed to score, Monticello’s Garrett Banks ripped the ball out of the hands of Blue Tornado running back Romulo Fajardo. ... The Mustangs have the ball back, but Richlands still has the energy. But do they have enough time? ... Monticello is set to punt with 2:26 left after a rough drive.