Concert to benefit hospice group
The Waynesboro Seventh-Day Adventist Church will be hosting its third annual Christmas Benefit Concert to support Augusta Health Hospice of the Shenandoah on Thursday, December 1 beginning at 7 p.m.
This free-will donation event is open to the public and will be a fantastic evening filled with festive talent while raising funds for Hospice of the Shenandoah.
Kristen Printy, marketing coordinator for Augusta Health Community Services said, “Contributions give Hospice of the Shenandoah staff the ability to care for others needs in many different ways.”
Several services not covered by insurance are possible with support from generous donors including the ability to grant financial assistance to individuals who can no longer manage at home and decide to receive end-of-life care at the Shenandoah House.
“We are delighted Waynesboro Seventh-Day Adventist Church chose Hospice of the Shenandoah to support by donating contributions from this event,” said Printy.
Hospice of the Shenandoah staff and volunteers are committed to providing safe and loving end-of-life care to those in our community regardless of their ability to pay. Hospice of the Shenandoah serves as your local, community based not-for-profit hospice and is grateful for the community’s support including financial contributions and volunteers from local churches, organizations, businesses and community members.
The performance will showcase great talent including harpist Jennifer Hall, vocalist Steve Lalk, vocalist Keenan Peterson, guitarist and vocalist Buddy Thomas and The Ovation Singers. For more information, please contact Augusta Health Hospice of the Shenandoah at 540-932-4909.
JMU selects Alger as sixth president
The James Madison University Board of Visitors has unanimously selected Mr. Jonathan R. Alger to serve as the next president of James Madison University.
“We desired a leader who values our student-centered focus, emphasis on teaching and is committed to the full development of the individual. We needed someone with an appreciation for the historical strengths of the University and one willing to invest time to understand our distinct institutional culture. Today, in Jon Alger we feel we have found the individual who best encompasses such values and is well positioned to lead our university into the next century,” said James Madison University Board of Visitors Rector, James Hartman.
Alger is now the sixth president of James Madison University in its 103-year history. Alger comes to James Madison University by way of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where he currently serves as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel.
“JMU has had a remarkable history of successful presidents who have guided the University through tremendous growth and change. This legacy reflects a strong institution with a clear sense of identity and purpose. Working with the entire University community, I will strive to continue, and build upon, that powerful tradition. I am deeply honored and humbled with this opportunity to serve James Madison University,” said Alger.
The selection comes following a comprehensive and successful search process over the past 11 months. The search committee, which was appointed by the James Madison University Board of Visitors, was assembled following last year’s announcement by JMU President Linwood Rose of his retirement in June of 2012.
“As chair of the search committee that recommended Jon Alger, and as a committed alumnus I couldn’t be more excited that Jon will be our next president. I’m extremely proud of the search committee, our process, our search firm, the quantity and quality of candidates and the outcome,” said Presidential Search Committee Chair, Joseph Damico.
While President Rose was needed in Richmond and unable to attend, he provided a letter of encouragement to Alger stating: “We all look forward to your leadership and the application of your special talents, interests and abilities. Judith and I stand ready to support and assist wherever and whenever we may be helpful.”
#15 Hokies pin #22 ‘Hoos at JPJ
The No. 22 Virginia wrestling team went down to the wire with No. 15 Virginia Tech Sunday before falling 18-13 to the Hokies in front of a raucous crowd of 1,652 at John Paul Jones Arena. Nine of the 10 bouts came down to decisions in the tightly contested match. The teams combined for just two sets of back points all day.
UVa (2-1) won at four weight classes, with No. 14 Jon Fausey (R-So., Dalmatia, Pa.) scoring an 11-3 major decision over John Dickson at 184 pounds. It marked the lone bonus scored on either side Sunday. No. 9 Matt Snyder (R-Jr., Lewistown, Pa.), No. 18 Nick Nelson (R-Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Shawn Harris (R-Sr., Cleveland, Ohio) scored wins by decision at 125, 141 and 149 pounds, respectively.
“I told our guys that ‘I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of your effort and I’m so blessed to be in your corner,’” UVa head coach Steve Garland said. “That final match with Ethan Hayes, I was so thankful just to be there and have a front-row seat for it. What an amazing atmosphere for the sport of wrestling. But as proud as I am of our guys, we didn’t accomplish our goal, which was to get the win. We were close and were right in a spot where we thought we could do it, but we lost.”
With UVa holding a 13-12 team lead with one weight class remaining, the match came down to a fantastic bout at heavyweight, where Virginia Tech’s Chris Penny scored a takedown in sudden-victory time to down UVa’s Ethan Hayes (Fr., New Lebanon, Ohio), 7-5. The bout featured a wild third period that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
With the score knotted at 2-all heading to the third, Penny chose the down position. After riding Penny for 11 seconds, Hayes put Penny on his back and scored two points on a nearfall. Penny quickly escaped and the wrestlers went back and forth without scoring for a minute and a half before Penny finally connected at the edge of the mat for a takedown with just seven seconds left. After a restart Hayes was able to kick out and escape just before the final horn to send the match to overtime. Both wrestlers had chances in the sudden victory period, but Penny landed the deciding takedown with 21 seconds remaining to seal the individual and team victories.
UVa jumped out to an early 9-3 lead after winning three of the first four matches. At 125, Snyder fell behind early against Ty Mitch but rallied to send the match to overtime, where he won in the first tiebreaker, 9-8. Snyder trailed 6-4 heading to the third period, but picked up a point in the third when Mitch was called for a pair of stalling warnings while in the bottom position. Snyder rode Mitch for the entire third period to reverse a 1:00 riding time deficit and turn it into a 1:00 riding time advantage to score the riding time point to send it to overtime.
After a scoreless sudden victory period, the two went to a tiebreaker, where Snyder escaped with 10 seconds left in the first period. In the second 30-second period, Mitch allowed Snyder to escape, but then quickly took him down to knot the score. Snyder again escaped, then held off Mitch to win, 9-8.
The Hokies (2-1) knotted the team score at 133 as No. 7-ranked Devin Carter methodically pulled away for an 11-5 decision over UVa’s Matt Nelson. Carter scored a quick first-period takedown and never trailed as he slowly pulled away for the victory.
Nick Nelson trailed 4-2 in the second period to Tech’s Zach Neibert at 141, but reversed Neibert late in the period and moved ahead with a second left in the period on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty point. Nelson escaped quickly to start the third, then controlled the match the rest of the way.
Harris and Chris Mears were locked in a tight bout throughout at 149. Harris scored a takedown 1:49 into the first period and never trailed. He moved ahead 4-1 with an escape to start the third, but Mears took him down to close to within 4-3. Hayes soon escaped to score a point and then held on for the 5-3 win.
At 157 pounds No. 5-ranked Jesse Dong gave up an early takedown to Jedd Moore (R-Jr., Mount Vernon, Ohio) but came back to post an 8-2 win. Dong scored a takedown near the edge with 41 seconds left in the first period and led the rest of the match. He scored a takedown late in the third period to put the match out of reach.
No. 14-ranked Pete Yates outlasted UVa’s Nick Sulzer (R-Fr., Cleveland, Ohio), 6-2, at 165. Yates scored a takedown just over a minute into the first period, then built up 1:28 in riding time in the period and pushed it to over two minutes in the third. With the match tied at two in the third, Yates quickly escaped to start the period, then countered a late Sulzer shot with a takedown to clinch the win and tie the team score at nine apiece.
Chris Moon gave the Hokies a 12-9 team lead with a 5-1 decision over Billy Coggins (So., Sound Beach, N.Y.) at 174 pounds. Moon defended a great Coggins shot early in the period to keep the match scoreless, then recorded a takedown at the edge of the mat with 45 seconds remaining in the first to take the lead. The two combined for a scoreless second period, but Moon escaped early in the third and added a takedown with just over a minute left to earn the win.
Fausey aggressively pounced on Dickson with a takedown in the first five seconds of their match at 184, and soon got Dickson on his back for three points on a near fall. Fausey cruised from there and scored a pair of third-period takedowns while racking up 3:01 in riding time to earn the major decision.
At 197 pounds 16th-ranked Nick Vetterlein of Virginia Tech held off UVa’s Ryan Malo (Sr., Mass.) for a 5-3 decision, giving the Hokies the 15-13 team lead. Vetterlein threw Malo in scoring a first-period takedown and then built up a 5-3 lead after an escape midway through the third, then fended off Malo’s shot attempts in the waning seconds to secure the win.
Virginia wrestles at the Penn State Open next Saturday (Dec. 4). The Cavaliers return to dual action Dec. 18 at Drexel.
No. 15 Virginia Tech 18, No. 22 Virginia 13
125: No. 9 Matt Snyder (Virginia) dec. Ty Mitch (Virginia Tech), 9-8 (TB1)
133: No. 7 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) dec. Matt Nelson (Virginia), 11-5
141: No. 18 Nick Nelson (Virginia) dec. Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech), 10-5
149: Shawn Harris (Virginia) dec. Chris Mears (Virginia Tech), 5-3
157: No. 5 Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech) dec. Jedd Moore (Virginia), 8-2
165: No. 14 Pete Yates (Virginia Tech) dec. Nick Sulzer (Virginia), 6-2
174: Chris Moon (Virginia Tech) dec. Billy Coggins (Virginia), 5-1
184: No. 14 Jon Fausey (Virginia) major dec. John Dickson (Virginia Tech), 11-3
197: No. 16 Nick Vetterlein (Virginia Tech) dec. Ryan Malo (Virginia), 5-3
285: Chris Penny (Virginia Tech) dec. Ethan Hayes (Virginia), 7-5 (SV)
Team Dual Records: Virginia Tech 2-1, Virginia 2-1
#24 JMU bows out in NCAA soccer tourney
The 24th-ranked James Madison men’s soccer team saw its season come to an end Sunday afternoon, as the Dukes lost 3-0 to No. 5 Connecticut in NCAA round of 16 action at Morrone Stadium.
The Dukes, seeded No. 14 in the 48-team tournament, finished the year with a 13-5-2 record. The No. 3 seeded Huskies improved their record to 19-3-2 and remained unbeaten at home with a 12-0-1 record.
The game was played in front of a crowd of 4,983, just under capacity at the 5,100-seat Morrone Stadium.
UConn took a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute on a breakaway goal by junior Carlos Alvarez. Senior Tony Cascio delivered a pass down the right side to Alvarez, who dribbled into the box and beat redshirt senior goalkeeper Justin Epperson (Herndon, Va./Oakton) one-on-one with a shot from eight yards to the upper part of the far corner.
In the second half the Huskies scored twice in a span of two minutes to take a commanding 3-0 lead.
First, a penalty kick was assessed when sophomore Mamadou Diouf was taken down by a JMU defender in the penalty box. Diouf took the PK, but Epperson stopped the shot. However, Diouf pounced on the rebound and scored at the 62:16 mark.
Just 2:02 later Cascio got the ball on a pass from Alvarez and hit a shot from the left side of the box into the right side of the goal for the Huskies’ third goal of the day.
UConn outshot the Dukes 16-5, and Epperson finished with four saves. JMU freshman Nick Njuki (Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard) also made a defensive save in the late stages of the game on a ball chipped over Epperson by freshman Allando Matheson in the waning minutes.
Postgame News Conference
JMU head coach Tom Martin
“It was nice to see (former UConn coach) Joseph J. (Morrone) today. We got to see him before the game. The only reason I bring it up is because this place is special for soccer. Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted today but if we’re gonna go out, I guess this is a good place to go out because of all the history and heritage that this place holds. On a serious note, it was good to see Coach Morrone today and have a couple of words with him.”
Q: It looked like you were trying to get Patrick Innes more involved in the second half and had a good 15 minutes:
A: “We did. We had a good 15 minutes then we shot ourselves in the foot. We gave up a penalty kick. We had a good scouting report. (Goalkeeper) Justin (Epperson) did everything he could. We knew who was taking it and where he was going. He makes a good save but 10 other guys fell asleep. Two guys were wide awake for UConn and followed it in. That took all the momentum out of it.
“You hit the nail on the head. We started the second half trying to be a little more direct, play a bit quicker through the midfield. We had a hard time getting penetration. Any time we had as much of the ball as we had at certain times, we’d always make a square pass or a negative pass and give UConn time to get behind the ball. I think at halftime we had one shot and that might be generous. The first 10 or 15 minutes we had some good chances but the penalty kick…. It’s very difficult at this stage of the tournament to come back from down two goals. I think we showed our youth there and let ourselves down a bit.
“I’m proud of the season we had. We had a very good team, a team that people predicted to be eighth in the league. We ended up winning the league and getting this far. Yeah it wasn’t our best effort but I’ll give a lot of that credit to UConn.”
JMU Goalkeeper Justin Epperson
Q: You made a couple really big stops in the first 15 minutes. What did you see on those two breakaways?
A: “I saw them slipping through and I just tried my best to position myself and cut the angle down. Just tried to read the ball.”
JMU wins playoff thriller
Redshirt-sophomore Cameron Starke drilled a 35-yard field goal into a strong wind as time expired to lift #17 James Madison to a 20-17 win at Eastern Kentucky in the opening round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship at Roy Kidd Stadium, Nov. 26. With their third consecutive victory, the Dukes move to 8-4 on the year and advance to play No. 2 seed North Dakota State next Saturday, while the Ohio Valley Conference co-champion Colonels end the season at 7-5.
Late in the fourth quarter, JMU halted EKU’s drive as redshirt-sophomore Stephon Robertson flushed quarterback T.J. Pryor from the pocket and forced him into redshirt-senior linebacker Pat Williams for a sack at the EKU 18. Jordan Berry’s 46-yard punt was muffed but recovered by JMU to give them possession on its own 36. From there, the Dukes got a first down and moved to the EKU 43 for a 4th-and-2 with 1:34 left in regulation. The Colonels called a time out as JMU was setting up to punt. The Dukes reconsidered, sending the offense out for the play and converting it as redshirt-sophomore running back Dae’Quan Scott got four yards to keep the drive alive. Madison earned another first down and got the ball down to the EKU 19 with one second remaining. Two time outs were called by the hosts to try and ice the JMU kicker, but Starke stepped up and drilled his second game-winning field goal of the season down the middle to propel the Dukes to the second round.
JMU controlled the flow of the game, holding the ball for a staggering 40:30 of the contest while outgaining the Colonels 393-213. In the second half alone, JMU has 52 offensive plays to just 14 for the Colonels while keeping the ball for more than 23 minutes. The Dukes rushed for 244 yards in the game and threw for 149, while limiting EKU to just 119 yards on the ground, more than 80 yards below its season rushing average. Madison also didn’t give the ball up on a turnover in the game to a team that came in as a plus-16 in the turnover column for the year.
Eastern Kentucky had the first threat of the game after a long punt return by Justin Bell put the Colonels in business at the JMU 16, with junior Jakarie Jackson making the touchdown-saving tackle. However on the second play from the Dukes 13, Pryor was intercepted by cornerback Leavander Jones in the end zone to end the threat.
JMU dominated the possession in the first quarter and eventually made it count early in the second after the interception, converting several third downs on the arm of redshirt-junior quarterback Justin Thorpe. Redshirt-sophomore running back Jordan Anderson capped off the 14-play, 80-yard drive by plunging in from one yard out for the first points of the game. Starke hit the scoreboard with his made point after attempt and the Dukes led 7-0 with 13:55 to go in the first half.
Going with the strong wind, EKU got on the board in the second quarter, utilizing two big passes to get down to the JMU 1. On second down, running back H.B. Banjoman scored over the left side of the line for the touchdown. Kicker Luke Pray hit the point after attempt and the game was knotted at 7 with 7:41 remaining in the second.
The Colonels had the last shot in the first half, as Pray came on for a 48-yard field goal attempt from the right hash mark with a stiff wind at his back. The line shot split the uprights as time expired and host EKU went into the halftime break with a 10-7 advantage.
JMU opened with the ball to start the second half and moved into the red zone. However, the drive stalled at the EKU 19. From there, Starke appeared to hit a 36-yard field goal but the attempt was ruled wide right by the officials and the host Colonels held on to the 10-7 lead.
On the ensuing drive, Eastern Kentucky got back on the scoreboard as running back Matt Denham busted off a 66-yard run to get to the JMU 1. From there, Banjoman took it in over the right end and extended the lead to 17-7 for the Colonels with 5:55 to go in the third.
Madison battled back and drove down the field again, getting down to the EKU 4. However, the Dukes had to settle for a field goal attempt, with this one good by Starke from 21 yards out to trim the lead to 17-10 with 27 seconds left in the third.
The Dukes put together a drive on their following possession after stopping EKU on a 3rd-and-1. Getting the ball its own 24, JMU put together an 8-play, 76-yard drive, keyed by a 25-yard third-down conversion from Thorpe to senior wide receiver Kerby Long. After moving it to the EKU 40, Anderson took it on the final two carries, going 16 yards on the first and 24 yards into the end zone on the second, busting a pair of tackles. The point after was good, tying the game at 17 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the contest.
JMU was led by Thorpe, who gained a career-high 93 yards on 28 carries while he was also 9-for-16 for 149 yards through the air. Scott and Anderson both chipped in solid games on the running attack, with Scott going for 75 yards on 24 carries and Anderson recording 15 carries for 71 yards and the two scores. Three players reeled in two receptions each, led by Renard Robinson’s 50 yards.
Denham led all rushers with 17 carries for 125 yards, but was limited to just 59 yards on 16 of those carries. Proyor finished 10-for-15 for 94 yards and one interception, with Matt Lengel is top target with three catches for 27 yards.
The Dukes will head to Fargo, N.D. to take on the Bison Saturday, Dec. 3 in the second round of the playoffs. Kickoff at the Fargo Dome is set for 3 p.m. Central.
Chris Graham: My All-ACC Ballot
I have as a member of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association a vote on the All-ACC teams.
At the risk of my sanity, here’s how I filled out my ballot for the 2011 season.
Last time I posted my ballot, at the end of the 2010-2011 basketball season, I was pilloried by North Carolina fans for not voting for more of their players for the various postseason honors.
I’m sure there will be other groups of fans upset with these selections. I’m OK with that.
Here we go …
Coach of the Year: Mike London, Virginia
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Sammy Watkins, Clemson
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Merrill Noel, Wake Forest
Offensive Player of the Year: Tajh Boyd, Clemson
Defensive Player of the Year: David Amerson, N.C. State
Overall Player of the Year: Tajh Boyd, Clemson
First-Team Offense
| Pos | First Name | Last Name | School |
| WR | Sammy | Watkins | Clemson |
| WR | Chris | Givens | Wake Forest |
| OT | Oday | Aboushi | Virginia |
| OT | James | Hurst | North Carolina |
| OG | Harland | Gunn | Miami |
| OG | Austin | Pasztor | Virginia |
| C | Jay | Finch | Georgia Tech |
| TE | Dqayne | Allen | Clemson |
| RB | David | Wilson | Virginia Tech |
| RB | Giovani | Bernard | North Carolina |
| QB | Tajh | Boyd | Clemson |
| PK | Dustin | Hopkins | Florida State |
| SP | Greg | Reid | Florida State |
Second Team Offense
| WR | Dwight | Jones | North Carolina |
| WR | Conner | Vernon | Duke |
| OT | john | Wetzel | Boston College |
| OT | Blake | DeChristopher | Virginia Tech |
| OG | Omoregie | Uzzi | Georgia Tech |
| OG | Garrett | Faircloth | Florida State |
| C | Anthony | Mihota | Virginia |
| TE | Cooper | Helfet | Duke |
| RB | Lamar | Miller | Miami |
| RB | Perry | Jones | Virginia |
| QB | Tanner | Price | Wake Forest |
| PK | Chandler | Catanzaro | Clemson |
| SP | T.J. | Graham | N.C. State |
First Team Defense
| DE | Andre | Branch | Clemson |
| DE | Brandon | Jenkins | Florida State |
| DT | Joe | Vellano | Maryland |
| DT | Nikita | Whitlock | Wake Forest |
| LB | Luke | Kuechly | Boston College |
| LB | Sean | Spence | Miami |
| LB | Terrell | Manning | N.C. State |
| CB | David | Amerson | N.C. State |
| CB | Merrill | Noel | Wake Forest |
| S | Josh | Bush | Wake Forest |
| S | Eric | Franklin | Maryland |
| P | Shawn | Powell | Florida State |
Second Team Defense
| DE | Cam | johnson | Virginia |
| DE | Kareem | Martin | North Carolina |
| DT | Matt | Conrath | Virginia |
| DT | Everett | Dawkins | Florida State |
| LB | Julian | Burnett | Georgia Tech |
| LB | Jermiah | Attaochu | Georgia Tech |
| LB | Bruce | Taylor | Virginia Tech |
| CB | Chase | Minnifield | Virginia |
| CB | Jayron | Hosley | Virginia Tech |
| S | Matt | Daniels | Duke |
| S | Cyhl | Quarles | Wake Forest |
| P | Dawson | Zimmerman | Clemson |
JMU takes thriller
Senior guard Humpty Hitchens (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe) hit the game winner with 12 seconds left and senior forwardJulius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) blocked the attempt to tie at the buzzer as James Madison topped Penn 60-58 on Saturday night at The Palestra as part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic.
JMU improved to 3-2 overall after winning its first ever meeting with Penn while the Quakers fell to 3-4.
The Dukes held a 56-50 lead with five minutes remaining in the contest but saw the lead evaporate on Zack Rosen’s deep contested three-pointer with the shot clock running out with 1:38 remaining to tie the score at 58-58.
Hitchens tried to match Rosen on JMU’s next possession but came up empty. Rosen then again ran the shot clock down but was whistled for traveling beyond the arc with two seconds on the shot clock and 42.9 seconds on the game clock.
After a timeout, JMU spread the court to give Hitchens a chance to drive the paint. His fadeaway runner from the left side of the lane just snuck over the rim to put the Dukes in front with 12 seconds remaining.
Penn called timeout with 8.5 seconds remaining to set up its final play. After a frantic series of passes, Mike Howlett found himself open on the right block but Wells converged on help defense and elevated for the clinching blocked shot as the buzzer sounded.
Junior guard A.J. Davis (Columbus, Ohio/Harmony Christian) led all players with 19 points, including the first 14 JMU points of the second half as the Dukes took a 43-39 lead after being tied 29-29 at the break. He added five rebounds and three steals. He finished the four-game classic with 91 total points, third most in the event’s five-year history.
Junior forward Andrey Semenov (St. Petersburg, Russia/Blue Ridge School) added 15 points, including 10 in the first half. Wells added nine points and eight rebounds in addition to his clinching block. He moved into the top 10 on the all-time scoring list at JMU, climbing from 11th to ninth with 1,367 career points. Hitchens finished with eight points and five assists while junior guardAlioune Diouf (Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern) contributed a career-best nine rebounds.
Rosen had a double-double for Penn with 15 points, 10 assists and two steals. He was 3-for-5 from the arc, including his late tying trey, while also going 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Henry Brooks had 10 points, Miles Cartwright sank a trio of threes and Tyler Bernardini added eight points and a team-high nine boards.
Following Davis’ 14 consecutive JMU points to begin the second period, Wells sank a three to put the Dukes up 46-39 for their largest lead of the game. Then with the Dukes up 49-43, Penn quickly cut the margin to one at 49-48 and took the lead on a pair of Henry Brooks free throws to make it 50-49 with 7:35 remaining.
Madison went back in front on its next trip down the court as Semenov missed a three from the wing but Wells was fouled on the offensive rebound. The free throws put the Dukes back in front, and after a Rosen missed three, this time Semenov connected on a three. That was followed by a Hitchens steal and layup for a 56-50 margin with five minutes to go.
The Dukes had a chance to build the difference to eight, however Wells missed a pair of free throws and Rosen then made two to cut it to 56-52. Marin Kukoc, son of former NBA star Toni Kukoc, hit a three to make it a one-point game. Wells then hit a pair of free throws prior to Rosen’s deep three to tie the game and set up the hectic finish.
JMU shot 43.5 percent from the field and hit 8-of-20 (40 percent) from the arc. The Dukes were also 12-for-19 (63 percent) at the line and held a 34-28 edge in rebounding. Penn shot 40 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from the arc (10-for-22) and 61.5 percent (8-for-13) at the stripe.
The teams played a tightly-contested first half with Penn holding the largest lead at five points. JMU held a 12-11 lead with 15 minutes to go before a 6-0 run by the Quakers while holding the Dukes scoreless for over four minutes.
The Dukes were still down five at 19-14 when a four-point possession cut it to one as Hood made a free throw. On his ensuing miss, Diouf grabbed the rebound and found Semenov for a three to make it 19-18. JMU tied the game at 25-25 and took a 29-29 tie into the break.
After going 2-2 in the Hoop Group Classic, JMU will play its first Colonial Athletic Association contest of the season next Saturday, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. at Hofstra.
Chris Graham: Hokie Hammer, Meet Wahoo Nail
We didn’t know it at the time, but when Virginia failed to convert a fourth-and-one at the Virginia Tech 6 in the first quarter of the Commonwealth Cup rivalry matchup Saturday, the game was pretty much decided right then and there.
“It was the opportunity to send a message to our guys up front that if you’re going to win championships, if you’re going to win games, you’ve got to be able to knock people off the ball and gain a yard, particularly on your favorite run play. They did a good job of defending it, and we didn’t get it. It set the tone for them to go the other way,” UVa. coach Mike London said after.
Sure, it still took the Hokies the better part of the next two and a half quarters to seal the deal in the eventual 38-0 Tech victory, but the outcome was only barely in doubt following the failed fourth-down conversion.
What that play did was reinforce to both sides how these games are supposed to go. Virginia Tech had won 11 of 12 in the series going in, the last Virginia win coming all the way back in 2003, when UVa. starting quarterback Michael Rocco was in grade school, the rest of his teammates aat best in middle school or just starting high school.
It’s been so long that it’s hard for those on the Virginia sidelines to say they remember what it feels like to beat Virginia Tech, and for anybody on the Tech sidelines to remember what it feels like to drop one to the Cavaliers.
“I appreciate their philosophy that they want to hammer you, but I also appreciate that we want to hammer them back,” said Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose team came in only a four-point favorite even with its lofty #5 spot in this week’s BCS rankings.
“To come in here and be able to win in the fashion that we did – everyone that is associated with Virginia Tech football right now feels very satisfied,” Tech coach Frank Beamer said.
Well, yes, but then, that’s what they expect to do. Just as the guys wearing orange and blue expect to come out on the short end of the stick when it comes to the annual in-state clash.
“It got away from us early,” said senior wideout Kris Burd, who had seven receptions for 100 yards in his final game at Scott Stadium, which ended like the last four home games in the series for the Cavs.
“It definitely hurts not being able to beat them during my career here,” Burd said.
Of course it does. But Burd is just another UVa. senior to finish out a career against Virginia Tech without winning a game against the bad guys from Southwest.
Eight straight losses is, what, now, five senior classes that can’t count a win against Tech on their college career resumes?
“Whatever it is now, it’s just one more loss to them,” London tried to say after the game, but the words ring hollow even in his own ear.
Eight wins, five in the ACC, two on the road at Florida State and Miami, finishing second in the rugged Coastal Division after being picked fifth in the preseason, it’s all wonderful, but this sad fact remains: I-AA James Madison owns as many wins over Virginia Tech in the past 13 seasons as Virginia does.
And Frank Beamer isn’t likely to schedule JMU again anytime soon. But even if Tech were to leave the ACC for another conference, he’d make sure to find a spot at the end of the year for Virginia, at least until the program in Charlottesville can get over the indomitable boogiemen that they’ve made the Hokies out to be.
Scott German: Hokies send Cavaliers holiday greetings in 38-0 blowout
Virginia Tech spent all week listening to commentary about how a revitalized Virginia football team was about to change the landscape of the rivalry, and that Tech’s No. 5 ranking was the result of a weak schedule that included no significant wins.
Well, after the shellacking Tech dealt Virginia at Scott Stadium Saturday, a few certainties exist.
One, Virginia Tech is heading back to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game. And two, Virginia’s road to a level playing field with VPI is a mountainous one.
No. 5 Tech took care of affairs with a 38-0 win against No.24 Virginia on Saturday, cruising to its fifth Coastal Division title in convincing terms.
Virginia Tech’s dynamic duo of quarterback Logan Thomas and running back David Wilson both made solid cases for consideration for ACC Player of the Year. Thomas threw for 187 yards while Wilson had 153 rushing yards and two scores.
Virginia Tech will get a rematch with Atlantic Division Champion Clemson in the ACC Championship Game Saturday evening in Charlotte. The Tigers will limp into the game having lost two straight games including their own blowout defeat to in-state rival South Carolina Saturday evening in Columbia.
Clemson handed Virginia Tech its only loss of the season, 23-3, in Blacksburg on Oct. 1. Since that game both teams have ended in opposite directions.
“I hope that offensively we are a better team now than we were at that time,” Tech coach Frank beamer said of the rematch.
Saturday’s win over Virginia was Tech’s second against aranked team this year.
Entering Saturday’s game against Virginia the feeling was that the Cavaliers, winners of four straight and ranked (No. 25) for the first time since 2007, were poised to regain the upper hand in what had become a one-sided affair. The 38-point victory was the second largest win for Tech in the series and largest victory over the Wahoos since a 48-0 drubbing in Scott Stadium in 1983.
Tech players commented after the game of the importance of delivering a statement to Virginia of who actually controls the conference. Consider that at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday evening that message was firmly delivered and received.
“We just wanted to make those guys respect us, hit them in the mouth and keep hitting,” said Hokie cornerback Jayron Hosley.
Virginia tech built a 14-0 lead at half on a 14-yard scoring run by Thomas and a 16-yard scoring reception by Jarrett Boykin.
Tech’s defense imposed its will against Virginia the entire contest and with the aid of some timely plays tossed a shutout against the Cavs, who advanced into Hokie territory six times during the game only to be turned back on every opportunity. Perhaps the costliest miscue for Virginia came right before the end of the opening half. The Cavaliers advanced to Tech’s 20, but quarterback Mike Rocco lost a fumble on a sack.
After that, things went bad for the Cavaliers-quickly. Wilson scored twice on runs of 27 and 38 yards to make it a 28-0 game and send the Virginia faithful (?) heading for the interstate.
In the end the Cavaliers managed just 241 yards on offense, including a paltry 30 on the ground – a season low – and committed four turnovers.
Virginia has not beaten Virginia tech since the Hokies entered the ACC eight years ago.
Indeed, Virginia may be headed in the right direction with a solid recruiting effort in the state, but Virginia Tech demonstrated Saturday it has no intentions of loosening the grip on the stranglehold they have overtheir in-state rival.
If Saturday’s game was a boxing match, the Hokies clearly scored an early-round KO.
UVa. bests Green Bay
Senior forward Mike Scott scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds, and sophomore guard KT Harrell added 14 points to lead Virginia to a 68-42 victory over Green Bay Friday night (Nov. 25) at John Paul Jones Arena.
The victory was the third in a row for the Cavaliers who are now 5-1 on the season. The loss dropped Green Bay’s record to 2-4.
Freshman guard Keifer Sykes led Green Bay with 11 points and was the only player to score in double figures for the Phoenix.
Scott’s double-double was his second of the season and the 26th of his career. He is tied for fourth on Virginia’s career list for double-doubles.
After senior guard Steve Baker hit a three-pointer for Green Bay for the first basket of the game, the Cavaliers scored 14 consecutive points to lead 14-3 with 13:51 left in the first half. Scott had five points for Virginia in that run.
UVa led by as many as 20 points in the first half, the last time with 8:12 remaining before halftime. Green Bay rallied to cut the deficit to 33-23 at halftime.
The Cavaliers scored the first 10 points of the second half and Green Bay never got closer than 16 points the rest of the way. Senior center Assane Sene had six points in that Virginia run and Scott scored four points.
UVa led by as many as 28 points in the second half.
Virginia has held each of its six opponents this season to less than 60 points and has held four of them under 50 points. UVa has held an opponent under 50 points 11 times with Tony Bennett as head coach.
The Cavaliers shot 51.1 percent (23-45) from the field for the game, including 25.0 percent (2-8) from three-point range, and 69.0 percent (20-29) from the free-throw line. It’s the second consecutive game Virginia has shot above 50 percent from the field.
Green Bay shot 30.0 percent (15-50) from the field, including 18.2 percent (2-11) from three-point range, and 83.3 percent (10-12) from the free-throw line.
Virginia out-rebounded Green Bay 37-26.
The Cavaliers return to action on Tuesday (Nov. 29) when they host Michigan in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at John Paul Jones Arena. That game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
#22 UVa. falls to #24 Texas
Virginia lost its first game this season, 79-53, to No. 24 Texas on Friday (Nov. 25) at theWaikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu, Hawaii. With the loss, Virginia’s record went to 4-1 on the season, while Texas improved to 3-1.
Senior guard Ariana Moorer (Woodbridge, Va.) led the Cavaliers with 17 points, while junior guard China Crosby (New York, N.Y.) also scored in double figures with 12 points.
Texas broke a 6-6 tie with a 3-pointer by Ashleigh Fontenette at the 17:24 mark of the first half that sparked an 18-3 run by the Longhorns. Texas led, 24-9, after a lay-up in transition by Fontenette with 9:18 left in the half.
At halftime, Texas had extended its lead to 43-25.
In the second half, Virginia got no closer than 18 points.
Virginia shot 18-of-53 from the field (.340), 3-of-13 from behind the 3-point line (.231) and 14-of-28 from the free throw line (.500).
Texas was led by Chassidy Fussell’s team-high 30 points. Fontenette finished with 11 points.
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Gianna Gariglietti: Holding offenders accountable
Posted on November 28, 2011 · 2 Comments
Wherever sexual abuse is uncovered, the people closest seem to feel the need to take sides. Either the perpetrator is seen as an evil, irredeemable person or (what happens more often) the victim is seen as a troublemaker, confused or just plain lying. We simply do not seem to know how to support, believe, and get help for the victim, while at the same time hold the offender accountable and also have the compassion and forethought to help them.
Don’t get me wrong, the offender does need to be held accountable for his/her crimes which may include incarceration, sex offender registry, limited mobility and other losses to personal freedom. They also need to acknowledge what they have done and have a desire to change. But without support from family, friends and community members the offender is unlikely to succeed. Shunning and isolating a person at risk of offending does not help them as they try to rebuild their lives free from abusing children.
This idea of teaching people how to support both the victim and offender at the same time is something we support at the Collins Center. When both parties are in the same family this may be the only way to prevent tearing families apart, and when 85% of children are victimized by someone in their own family then this is truly the only way. In my experience working with hundreds of victims and their families, this is also the best way for victims to get support and protection.
The idea of a stranger sneaking into window at night or lurking around at a park only to steal a child is not the statistical reality of who is abusing children. It is our brothers, fathers, teachers, uncles, step-parents, pastors, and yes our football coaches. These are people who are loved and admired by many, which is why we sometimes have such a hard time believing they could do such horrible things. Sex offenders are not just creepy, dirty, scary looking men. They most often look like any ordinary or even upstanding citizen.
Neither should a victim’s stories be kept secret from other family members. In order to protect children within a family, all the adults should know if there is a person at risk to offend and that person needs to know that their actions are no longer a secret and that others are watching. This helps hold a recovering person accountable and makes it less likely that they will re-offend.
If Coach Sandusky had seen examples of sex offenders who had gotten treatment, and who had been supported in their recovery, then maybe he would have sought help in 1998. He admitted to a boy’s mother then, that he showered with him and other boys and promised to never do it again, saying “I was wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness. I know I won’t get it from you. I wish I were dead.” If there had been another compassionate adult that could have helped him to seek treatment or had he been forced to by the legal system, who knows how many boys this could have prevented from being his victim?
It is every adult’s responsibility to protect children, to confront sexually abusive behaviors in others, and to report suspicions of abuse. When adults learn how, and take it as their role, to prevent child sexual abuse, we have a chance at stopping this pervasive epidemic. One that affects 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys before the age of 18.
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with child sex abuse, child sexual abuse, jerry sandusky, penn state, the collins center, virginia department of health