hokiesports - the notebook

Washington third pick in D-League Draft

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:33:57 -0500

Former Virginia Tech men’s basketball standout Deron Washington was the third player selected in the 2009 NBA Development League Draft Thursday night. Washington was selected by the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Washington was the final cut of the Detroit Pistons last month. He was a second round selection of the Pistons in the 2008 NBA Draft, but played professionally in Israel last season.

Washington is currently 17th in career scoring at Virginia Tech, with 1,408 points. He is also seventh in all-time blocked shots for the Hokies, with 115 and tenth in career steals, with 151 steals.

Washington was selected following Carlos Powell, formerly of the University of South Carolina, who was selected first by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. Interestingly enough, Powell was also the second pick in the 2007 D-League Draft. The second selection was Donell Taylor from UAB by the Erie BayHawks.

The NBA Development League is the top minor league in professional basketball and each team is affiliated with NBA teams. The Los Angeles D-Fenders are affiliated with the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers and play their home games in the Staples Center, home of the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.

This is the second consecutive year that a former Hokie was a first round selection in the Draft, as Coleman Collins was selected by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the 2008 Draft.

Washington becomes the second former Hokie to play for the D-Fenders, as Brian Chase played for the LA team in the 2006-07 season. He was selected to the 2007 NBA D-League All-Star Game.

The D-Fenders begin their 2009-10 season on Nov. 28 at the Albuquerque Thunderbirds.

Depth chart from Tech-UNC game (includes number of plays)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:48:11 -0500

Here is a look at the postgame depth chart from the North Carolina game. The number before the slash indicates plays from scrimmage, while the number after the slash indicates plays from special teams. The number of plays, the grades and the tackles came from the coaching staff.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACKS

5 Tyrod Taylor (6-0, 219, Jr.) – 56/0. Graded out at 86 percent. Completed 11-of-23 for 161 yards. Rushed for minus-8 yards, but scored twice on two short runs.

12 Ju-Ju Clayton (6-0, 214, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

3 Logan Thomas (6-5, 230, Fr.) – 0/0.

16 Jeff Beyer (6-4, 214, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

TAILBACKS

34 Ryan Williams (5-10, 204, r-Fr.) – 51/0. Rushed for 96 yards on 23 carries, with a long of 25. Caught one pass for two yards. Broke four tackles.

25 Josh Oglesby (5-11, 210, r-Soph.) – 6/0. Carried the ball once for seven yards.

4 David Wilson (5-9, 194, Fr.) – 2/4. Returned four kickoffs for 80 yards, with a long of 42

37 Zac Evans (5-10, 190, Fr.) – 0/0.

FULLBACKS

42 Kenny Jefferson (5-10, 238, r-Sr.) – 12/0.

31 Kenny Younger (5-11, 214, r-Jr.) – 3/8.

21 Joey Phillips (5-11, 214, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

SPLIT ENDS

81 Jarrett Boykin (6-2, 219, Soph.) – 43/5. Caught two passes for 36 yards, with a long of 20.

29 Xavier Boyce (6-4, 224, r-Fr.) – 17/9. Had two catches for 34 yards, with a long of 19.

7 Marcus Davis (6-4, 234, r-Fr.) – 0/3.

80 Brandon Dillard (5-11, 176, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

FLANKERS

19 Danny Coale (6-0, 208, r-Soph.) – 48/4. Caught one pass for 16 yards.

11 Dyrell Roberts (6-2, 191, Soph.) – 32/4. Hauled in a career-high five passes for 73 yards.

83 Patrick Terry (5-11, 190, r-Soph.) – 0/0.

90 D.J. Coles (6-3, 223, Fr.) – 0/9.

35 Austin Fuller (6-2, 218, r-Fr.) – 0/5.

Left tackles

77 Ed Wang (6-5, 313, r-Sr.) – 57/3. Graded out at 81 percent, with five knockdowns.

54 Nick Becton (6-5, 311, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

Left guards

70 Sergio Render (6-3, 313, Sr.) – 54/3. Graded out at 83 percent, with three knockdowns.

75 Greg Nosal (6-5, 288, r-Soph.) – 0/0.

Centers

60 Beau Warren (6-3, 286, r-Jr.) – 42/0. Graded out at 81 percent, with two knockdowns.

67 Michael Via (6-6, 277, r-Fr.) – 15/0.

Right guards

68 Jaymes Brooks (6-2, 297, r-Soph.) – 42/3. Graded out at 81 percent, with a knockdown.

75 Greg Nosal (6-5, 288, r-Soph.) – 18/0.

64 Richard Graham (6-6, 296, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

Right tackles

62 Blake DeChristopher (6-5, 312, r-Soph.) – 57/3.

72 Andrew Lanier (6-5, 281, r-Soph.) – 0/0.

TIGHT ENDS

8 Greg Boone (6-3, 287, r-Sr.) – 44/7.

88 Andre Smith (6-4, 268, r-Jr.) – 22/15.

18 Sam Wheeler (6-3, 256, r-Sr.) – 1/12.

87 Prince Parker (6-5, 235, r-Jr.) – 0/3.

85 Rob Stanton (6-4, 237, r-Jr.) – 0/0.

DEFENSE

Stud ends

47 Nekos Brown (6-2, 244, Sr.) – 54/4. Finished with five solo tackles and an assist, and also had a sack.

33 Chris Drager (6-3, 247, r-Soph.) – 11/11. Had two solo tackles, including one for a loss.

55 Isaiah Hamlette (6-4, 245, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

Ends

6 Jason Worilds (6-2, 256, r-Jr.) – 59/3. Recorded three solo tackles and three assists. Also had three hurries and a sack.

82 Steven Friday (6-4, 235, r-Jr.) – 15/0. Had two solo tackles and an assist.

Nose tackles

91 John Graves (6-3, 279, r-Jr.) – 45/4. Tallied two solo tackles and three assists.

56 Demetrius Taylor (6-0, 274, r-Sr.) – 23/4. Had a solo tackle and an assist.

93 Kwamaine Battle (6-0, 283, r-Soph.) – 8/0. Had a solo tackle.

Tackles

95 Cordarrow Thompson (6-2, 307, r-Sr.) – 45/0. Registered five assists. Caused a fumble.

98 Antoine Hopkins (6-0, 299, r-Fr.) – 15/0. Broke up two passes.

53 Dwight Tucker (6-1, 280, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

Mike linebackers

52 Barquell Rivers (6-0, 234, r-Soph.) – 71/4. Finished with seven solo tackles and four assists. Also broke up a pass.

51 Bruce Taylor (6-2, 236, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

94 Mark Muncey (5-11, 217, r-Sr.) – 0/4.

Backers

36 Jake Johnson (6-2, 234, Soph.) – 16/0. Recorded a solo tackle and two assists.

39 Lyndell Gibson (5-11, 222, r-Fr.) – 55/4. Had five solo tackles and four assists.

38 Quillie Odom (6-2, 230, Soph.) – 0/0.

Whip linebackers

26 Cody Grimm (5-11, 204, r-Sr.) – 71/12. Graded higher than any defensive player. Had 10 solo tackles (two on special teams) and three assists.

41 Cam Martin (6-1, 212, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

43 Jeron Gouveia-Winslow (6-2, 200, r-Fr.) – 0/4. Had a solo tackle on special teams.

28 Alonzo Tweedy (6-2, 185, r-Fr.) – 0/8. Had a solo tackle and an assist on special teams.

44 Zach Luckett (6-3, 203, r-Jr.) – 0/8. Had two assists on special teams.

Rovers

24 Dorian Porch (5-11, 206, r-Sr.) – 36/0. Tallied three solo tackles and an assist.

2 Davon Morgan (5-11, 201, Jr.) – 35/9. Had six solo tackles and an assist.

23 Matt Reidy (6-1, 215, r-Sr.) – 0/14.

Field corners

21 Rashad Carmichael (5-10, 184, r-Jr.) – 71/8. Registered five solo tackles, including one for a loss, and three assists. Intercepted a pass – his fourth of the season.

9 Cris Hill (5-11, 185, r-Soph.) – 0/7.

Boundary corners

22 Stephan Virgil (5-11, 191, Sr.) – 71/4. Finished with four solo tackles and an assist.

15 Eddie Whitley (6-1, 184, Soph.) – 0/0.

20 Jayron Hosley (5-10, 170, Fr.) – 0/9. Returned for punts for 31 yards, with a long of 17.

37 Jacob Sykes (6-0, 193, r-Soph.) – 0/1.

Safeties

17 Kam Chancellor (6-4, 229, Sr.) – 71/4. Recorded nine solo tackles, including one for a loss, and two assists.

15 Eddie Whitley (6-1, 184, Soph.) – 0/9.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kickers

49 Matt Waldron (5-11, 190, r-Sr.) – 0/3. Had a 36-yard field goal. Is 10-of-12 this season.

48 Justin Myer (6-0, 198, Soph.) – 0/4. Had a touchback on four kickoffs.

Punters

97 Brent Bowden (6-3, 201, r-Sr.) – 0/7. Punted for times for an average of 43.3 and placed two inside the 20.

30 Brian Saunders (6-0, 197, r-Jr.) – 0/0.

Snappers

50 Collin Carroll (6-3, 243, r-Soph.) – 0/7.

63 Matt Tuttle (6-0, 228, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

Royal named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:25:34 -0500

Former Virginia Tech standout Eddie Royal has been honored by the NFL as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October. Royal totaled 292 return yards and two return touchdowns while helping Denver to a 3-0 record in October. He returned eight punts for 134 yards (16.8 average) with a 71-yard touchdown and posted five kick returns for 158 yards (31.6 average), including a 93-yard score.

He was the only player in the NFL for the month to rank among the league’s top four in kick return average (third, 31.6) and punt return average (fourth, 16.8).

In Week 6 against San Diego (10/19), Royal became only the 11th player in NFL history (second Bronco) and sixth player since the 1970 merger to score a touchdown on a kick return and punt return in the same game. His two combined kick return touchdowns led the NFL for the month.

In his second year from Virginia Tech, this is Royal’s first career Player of the Month Award. Royal is the second Bronco to win Special Teams Player of the Month this season (Matt Prater in September).

Bowden to entertain fans before the game

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:20:43 -0500

There will be fireworks. There will be orange jerseys and maroon pants. And if Lane Stadium won't be rocking enough Thursday night when the Hokies host North Carolina in a Thursday night game televised by national television, throw in a special performance of "Enter Sandman."

Tech's entrance song and video will have a unique twist as Hokie punter Brent Bowden will be playing his version of the song in place of the original version. Bowden, an avid guitar player, recorded the song on camera last week and it will be played mixed in with the usual entrance video.

Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m., but fans need to get there early to catch the special appearance on the video board.

Looking back at some memorable home Thursday night football game performances

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:20:07 -0500

Over the years, some of Virginia Tech’s best and most-memorable performances have come at home on Thursday night with the ESPN cameras rolling. The Hokies will host North Carolina this Thursday in another ESPN contest. Here's a look at some of those memorable nights.
   1994 vs. West Virginia: Ken Oxendine breaks off a 53-yard touchdown run late in the game to seal a 34-6 win over the Mountaineers.
   1999 vs. Clemson: Defensive end Corey Moore racks up four tackles for loss, including two sacks, forces a fumble that he picks up and returns for a touchdown, and breaks up two passes in the 31-11 win over Clemson.
   2000 vs. West Virginia: André Davis scores three straight touchdowns three different ways (30-yard rush; 64-yard pass; 76-yard punt return) in totaling 273 all-purpose yards as the Hokies roll past West Virginia 48-20.
   2002 vs. Marshall: Kevin Jones and Lee Suggs combine for 324 yards rushing and five touchdowns as the Hokies hold off Byron Leftwich and the No. 16 Thundering Herd, 47-21
   2003 vs. Texas A&M: Playing in the remnants of Hurricane Isabel, Kevin Jones runs for 188 yards and three scores to lift the Hokies to a 35-19 win over Texas A&M in front of a sold-out, and rain-soaked crowd.
   2004 vs. Maryland: Tech’s defense intercepts four passes en route to a 55-3 rout just a few hours after head coach Frank Beamer’s mother, Herma, passed away.
   2006 vs. Clemson: Branden Ore runs for 203 yards and two touchdowns as the Hokies upset No. 10 Clemson.
   2008 vs. Maryland: Darren Evans runs for a school-record 253 yards in the 23-13 win over the Terps.

Williams, Render named mid-season All-Americans

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:23:35 -0500

Virginia Tech football players Ryan Williams and Sergio Render have been named mid-season All-Americans by differenct publications. Williams was named to CBSSports.com Midseason All-America First Team and is the only freshman on the squad. Render is a second-team selection by that site.

Render was also named a first-team mid-season All-American by Sporting News in the upcoming issue which hits newstands today.

Donate to the Track & Field/Cross Country Shoe Drive

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:24:38 -0500

The Virginia Tech track & field and cross country teams will be holding their second annual Shoe Drive this Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Cassell Coliseum.

Please bring any gently worn shoes that you no longer wear, and help provide free footwear to those in desperate need. All shoes will be donated to either Soles4Souls or the Nike Re-Use A Shoe program. Over 250 pairs were collected last year, but the teams hope to at least double that this year.

The shoe drive will happen rain or shine, and the drop-off area will be located in the half-circle bus pull-through on the Spring Road side of Cassell.

A financial donation of $1.00 will be accepted to help the team cover all shipping costs.

Join the Virginia Tech Track & Field and Cross Country team in their efforts to reach out to the less fortunate!

Camo takes 2-0 lead in Hokie Fall World Series

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:45:14 -0500

Austin Wates and Matt Blow went a combined 5-for-7 with five RBIs to lead Team Camo to a 5-3 win over Team Throwback in game two of the Hokie Fall World Series at English Field on Tuesday evening.

With the victory, Team Camo owns a 2-0 lead in the three-game, intrasquad series, but Team Throwback can claim the series if it defeats Team Camo by more than three runs (the combined deficit of the two losses) in game three on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m., and the game, like the first two, is scheduled for seven innings.

Wates produced the game’s first run in the top of the first when he singled home Sean Ryan, and Blow responded soon after by singling home Wates to give the Camos a quick, 2-0 lead.

The Throwbacks countered in the bottom of the second, as Tony Balisteri sent a two-run shot over the wall to score Anthony Sosnoskie and knot the contest at 2.

Both starting pitchers – freshmen Patrick Scoggin and Joe Mantiply – then settled in until the top of the fifth, when Wates and Blow teamed up again with a pair of RBI singles to chase Scoggin from the game and give the Camos a 4-2 advantage.

Buddy Sosnoskie’s single for Team Throwback in the bottom of the sixth scored Balisteri to make it a one-run game, but Blow plated Wates on a double in the top of the seventh to make it 5-3. Brandon Fisher pitched a perfect bottom half to register the save, his second in the series.

Mantiply earned the win after tossing a solid five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks, with two strikeouts. Scoggin fanned four for the Throwbacks, but walked three and gave up six hits to take the loss.

Former receiver Royal makes history; other former Hokies doing well in NFL

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:35:52 -0500

Former Tech and current Denver receiver Eddie Royal enjoyed arguably the game of his young career when he thrilled a Monday night audience by returning two kicks for touchdowns in the Broncos’ 34-23 victory over San Diego in San Diego. The victory moved the Broncos to 6-0 on the season.

Royal became the first player in Broncos history and the 11th player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game, and he became the first player to do since Nov. 25, 2007, when Chicago’s Devin Hester did both. Royal returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score with 4:39 left in the first quarter and then returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown with 5:53 left in the first half.

“You’ve got to believe it can happen before you do it,” Royal said in an ESPN.com article about the game. “I’ve got a lot of faith in the guys in front of me, so I wasn’t surprised.”

Royal finished with 235 yards combined on kickoff and punt returns. That established a new Broncos record.

Royal’s game marked the latest in significant contributions made by former Virginia Tech players currently playing in the NFL. So far this season, 22 former Hokies have been active for at least one game and 18 have gotten at least one start. The list includes the following, with games played and games started:

#50 James Anderson, OLB, Carolina Panthers (5 GP/1 GS)

#76 Duane Brown, OT, Houston Texans (6 GP/6 GS)

#17 David Clowney, WR, New York Jets (5 GP/1 GS)

#11 André Davis, WR, Houston Texans (4 GP/1 GS)

#24 Brandon Flowers, CB, Kansas City Chiefs (5 GP/5 GS)

#77 Brandon Frye, OT, Seattle Seahawks (IR) (4 GP/3 GS)

#17 Shayne Graham, PK, Cincinnati Bengals (6 GP/6 GS)

#64 Jake Grove, C, Miami Dolphins (5 GP/5 GS)

#23 DeAngelo Hall, CB, Washington Redskins (6 GP/6 GS)

#35 Macho Harris, CB, Philadelphia Eagles (5 GP/5 GS)

#47 Jeff King, TE, Carolina Panthers (5 GP/4 GS)

#63 Will Montgomery, OG, Washington Redskins (6 GP/1 GS)

#84 Josh Morgan, WR, San Francisco 49ers (5 GP/5 GS)

#37 Aaron Rouse, S, New York Giants * (6 GP/1 GS)

#19 Eddie Royal, WR, Denver Broncos (6 GP/5 GS)

#27 Nick Sorensen, S, Cleveland Browns (6 GP/3 GS)

#55 Darryl Tapp, DE, Seattle Seahawks (6 GP/1 GS)

#17 Ernest Wilford, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (6 GP/2 GS)

* - Rouse started the week 2 game for Green Bay, but was cut and was picked up for week 3 by the New York Giants

Depth chart from Tech-GT game (includes number of plays)

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:32:55 -0500

Here is a look at the postgame depth chart from the Georgia Tech game. The number before the slash indicates plays from scrimmage, while the number after the slash indicates plays from special teams. The number of plays, the grades and the tackles came from the coaching staff.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACKS

5 Tyrod Taylor (6-0, 219, Jr.) – 47/0. Completed 10-of-14 for 159 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. Rushed for 63 yards on 13 carries and scored a touchdown. Graded out at 91 percent.

12 Ju-Ju Clayton (6-0, 214, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

3 Logan Thomas (6-5, 230, Fr.) – 0/0.

16 Jeff Beyer (6-4, 214, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

TAILBACKS

34 Ryan Williams (5-10, 204, r-Fr.) – 35/0. Rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Caught two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown. Broke three tackles.

25 Josh Oglesby (5-11, 210, r-Soph.) – 14/0.

4 David Wilson (5-9, 194, Fr.) – 4/5. Had two kickoff returns for 50 yards, including a 29-yarder.

37 Zac Evans (5-10, 190, Fr.) – 0/0.

FULLBACKS

42 Kenny Jefferson (5-10, 238, r-Sr.) – 4/0.

31 Kenny Younger (5-11, 214, r-Jr.) – 0/9.

21 Joey Phillips (5-11, 214, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

SPLIT ENDS

81 Jarrett Boykin (6-2, 219, Soph.) – 40/5. Caught two passes for 12 yards.

29 Xavier Boyce (6-4, 224, r-Fr.) – 6/10.

7 Marcus Davis (6-4, 234, r-Fr.) – 0/4.

80 Brandon Dillard (5-11, 176, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

FLANKERS

19 Danny Coale (6-0, 208, r-Soph.) – 45/5. Caught two passes for 47 yards.

11 Dyrell Roberts (6-2, 191, Soph.) – 33/5. Caught three passes for 66 yards. Had two kickoff returns for 89 yards, including a 58-yarder.

83 Patrick Terry (5-11, 190, r-Soph.) – 0/0.

90 D.J. Coles (6-3, 223, Fr.) – 0/9.

35 Austin Fuller (6-2, 218, r-Fr.) – 0/4.

Left tackles

77 Ed Wang (6-5, 313, r-Sr.) – 48/3. Graded out at 83 percent, with two knockdowns.

54 Nick Becton (6-5, 311, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

Left guards

70 Sergio Render (6-3, 313, Sr.) – 35/3. Had a team-high three knockdowns.

75 Greg Nosal (6-5, 288, r-Soph.) – 0/0.

Centers

60 Beau Warren (6-3, 286, r-Jr.) – 48/0. Graded out at 81 percent, with two knockdowns.

67 Michael Via (6-6, 277, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

Right guards

68 Jaymes Brooks (6-2, 297, r-Soph.) – 35/3.

75 Greg Nosal (6-5, 288, r-Soph.) – 24/3. Graded out at 83 percent, with a knockdown.

64 Richard Graham (6-6, 296, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

Right tackles

62 Blake DeChristopher (6-5, 312, r-Soph.) – 48/0.

72 Andrew Lanier (6-5, 281, r-Soph.) – 0/0.

TIGHT ENDS

8 Greg Boone (6-3, 287, r-Sr.) – 38/7. Caught one pass for 12 yards. Graded out at 87 percent.

88 Andre Smith (6-4, 268, r-Jr.) – 19/12.

18 Sam Wheeler (6-3, 256, r-Sr.) – 0/8.

87 Prince Parker (6-5, 235, r-Jr.) – 0/1.

85 Rob Stanton (6-4, 237, r-Jr.) – 0/0.

DEFENSE

Stud ends

47 Nekos Brown (6-2, 244, Sr.) – 59/8. Recorded six solo tackles, including one for a loss, and eight assists.

33 Chris Drager (6-3, 247, r-Soph.) – 11/8. Had two solo tackles, including one for a loss.

55 Isaiah Hamlette (6-4, 245, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

Ends

6 Jason Worilds (6-2, 256, r-Jr.) – 59/4. Finished with four solo tackles, including one for a loss, and six assists.

82 Steven Friday (6-4, 235, r-Jr.) – 11/0. Had an assist.

Nose tackles

91 John Graves (6-3, 279, r-Jr.) – 14/4. Registered a solo tackle before leaving the game after tweaking his ankle.

56 Demetrius Taylor (6-0, 274, r-Sr.) – 43/4. Had five solo tackles and six assists.

93 Kwamaine Battle (6-0, 283, r-Soph.) – 11/0. Had two solo tackles and an assist.

Tackles

95 Cordarrow Thompson (6-2, 307, r-Sr.) – 56/4. Tallied four solo tackles and four assists.

98 Antoine Hopkins (6-0, 299, r-Fr.) – 14/0. Had two assists.

53 Dwight Tucker (6-1, 280, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

Mike linebackers

52 Barquell Rivers (6-0, 234, r-Soph.) – 63/3. Graded higher than any defensive player. Had eight solo tackles, including one for a loss, and eight assists.

51 Bruce Taylor (6-2, 236, r-Fr.) – 7/0.

94 Mark Muncey (5-11, 217, r-Sr.) – 0/5.

Backers

36 Jake Johnson (6-2, 234, Soph.) – 37/3. Recorded three solo tackles and two assists.

39 Lyndell Gibson (5-11, 222, r-Fr.) – 33/1. Had four assists.

38 Quillie Odom (6-2, 230, Soph.) – 0/0.

Whip linebackers

26 Cody Grimm (5-11, 204, r-Sr.) – 70/12. Finished with seven solo tackles and seven assists.

41 Cam Martin (6-1, 212, r-Sr.) – 0/8.

43 Jeron Gouveia-Winslow (6-2, 200, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

28 Alonzo Tweedy (6-2, 185, r-Fr.) – 0/8. Had three solo tackles on special teams.

44 Zach Luckett (6-3, 203, r-Jr.) – 0/8. Had a solo tackle and an assist on special teams.

Rovers

24 Dorian Porch (5-11, 206, r-Sr.) – 50/4. Registered two solo tackles and four assists. Also had his first interception of the season.

2 Davon Morgan (5-11, 201, Jr.) – 12/9. Had a solo tackle.

23 Matt Reidy (6-1, 215, r-Sr.) – 0/13.

Field corners

21 Rashad Carmichael (5-10, 184, r-Jr.) – 70/5. Tallied two assists and caused an interception.

9 Cris Hill (5-11, 185, r-Soph.) – 0/4.

Boundary corners

22 Stephan Virgil (5-11, 191, Sr.) – 70/5. Finished with a solo tackle and a sack. Broke up a pass.

15 Eddie Whitley (6-1, 184, Soph.) – 0/0.

20 Jayron Hosley (5-10, 170, Fr.) – 0/8.

37 Jacob Sykes (6-0, 193, r-Soph.) – 0/4.

Safeties

17 Kam Chancellor (6-4, 229, Sr.) – 70/5. Recorded seven solo tackles, including one for a loss, and seven assists.

15 Eddie Whitley (6-1, 184, Soph.) – 0/9.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kickers

49 Matt Waldron (5-11, 190, r-Sr.) – 0/4. Connected on a 34-yarder and made both of his extra points.

48 Justin Myer (6-0, 198, Soph.) – 0/5.

Punters

97 Brent Bowden (6-3, 201, r-Sr.) – 0/7. Averaged 35 yards per punt on four punts. Placed one inside the 20.

30 Brian Saunders (6-0, 197, r-Jr.) – 0/0.

Snappers

50 Collin Carroll (6-3, 243, r-Soph.) – 0/7.

63 Matt Tuttle (6-0, 228, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

Update on Hokie Fall World Series

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:28:09 -0500

Chris Kay’s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 7-7 tie and lifted Team Camo to an 8-7 win over Team Throwback in game one of the Hokie Fall World Series on a frigid Sunday evening at English Field.

Team Camo, wearing the special edition camouflage jerseys that were debuted last spring, banged out 12 hits, including seven of the extra-base variety, to notch the victory in the seven-inning contest. Reliever Sean McDermott picked up the win and Brandon Fisher nailed down the save.

Team Throwback, wearing the Hokies’ old school Houston Astro-style jerseys, was led by catcher Anthony Sosnoskie’s three RBIs. Buddy Sosnoskie took the loss on the mound after moving from right field to begin the sixth.

Team Camo got things started in the bottom of the first when first baseman Matt Blow clubbed an RBI double off the wall in right-center field to bring home center fielder Sean Ryan. Shortstop Tim Smalling immediately followed with a two-run homer to straight-away center field to give the Camos a 3-0 lead.

Team Throwback got on the board in the top of the third with a pair of runs. Anthony Sosnoskie singled home shortstop Ronnie Shaban for the frame’s first tally, while left fielder Steve Domecus later scored on a wild pitch by Camo starting pitcher Manny Martir.

The Throwbacks scored three more times in the top of the fourth. Domecus doubled down the left field line to plate second baseman Michael Seaborn, and Anthony Sosnoskie followed with a two-run bomb to straight-away center to give the Throwbacks a 5-3 lead.

Three consecutive extra-base hits in the bottom of the fifth brought Team Camo back from the two-run deficit and spotted them with a 7-5 advantage. Right fielder Austin Wates, who led off with a single, scored on a triple to left by Smalling to account for the first run of the inning. Kay then doubled off the left field wall to bring home Smalling, and catcher Chad Morgan followed with a triple to the right field corner to score Kay. Left fielder Tyler Horan capped the outburst by driving home Morgan with an RBI single.

A two-run, two-out double to left by Throwback third baseman Andrew Rash knotted the game at 7 apiece in the top of the sixth, but that just set the stage for Kay’s game-winning hit in the bottom half.

The intrasquad series will continue on Tuesday at English Field with a 5:30 p.m. first pitch.

Baseball changes dates for Hokie Fall World Series

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:10:51 -0500

The Virginia Tech baseball team will conclude its fall practice schedule early next week by holding the annual Hokie Fall World Series, a three-game, intrasquad affair that will take place at English Field.

The two teams will face off on Oct. 18, 20 and 21, with each game beginning at 5:30 p.m. The games were originally scheduled for Oct. 15, 17 and 18, but the looming weather forecast prompted the change.

The series is not a best-of-three event – all three games will be played. Should one team win the first two contests, the 0-2 team can still claim the series if it outscores the 2-0 team in game three by more than the combined deficit that it lost by in the first two games.

Fans are welcome to come check out any of the three games, and admission is free.

The rosters are as follows:

Team 1

4 Mike Kaminski

5 Michael Seaborn

7 Buddy Sosnoskie

11 Marc Zecchino

13 Anthony Sosnoskie

15 Danny Farris

20 Andrew Rash

25 Jake Peeling

26 Steve Domecus

29 Ronnie Shaban

34 Eduardo Latouche

37 Patrick Scoggin

39 Luke Erickson

Team 2

2 Chris Kay

3 Sean Ryan

8 Tim Smalling

10 Tony Balisteri

12 Brandon Fisher

18 Charlie McCann

21 Austin Wates

23 Matt Blow

27 Tyler Horan

30 Manny Martir

33 Chad Morgan

36 Brent Zimmerman

38 Sean McDermott

40 Joe Mantiply

Will not play

14 Mathew Price

22 Jesse Hahn

24 Justin Wright

28 Ben Rowen

32 Joe Parsons

41 Clark Labitan

Injured

9 Luke Padgett

17 Brandon Lower

31 Kyle Cichy

Depth chart from Tech-BC game (includes number of plays)

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:34:37 -0500

Here is a look at the postgame depth chart from the BC game. The number before the slash indicates plays from scrimmage, while the number after the slash indicates plays from special teams. The number of plays, the grades and the tackles came from the coaching staff.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACKS

5 Tyrod Taylor (6-0, 219, Jr.) – 43/0. Graded out at 90 percent. Completed 7-of-10 for 126 yards, with two touchdowns. Rushed six times for nine yards.

12 Ju-Ju Clayton (6-0, 214, r-Fr.) – 19/0. Completed 1-of-2 for 80 yards and a touchdown. His first collegiate completion went 80 yards for a touchdown.

3 Logan Thomas (6-5, 230, Fr.) – 0/0.

16 Jeff Beyer (6-4, 214, r-Sr.) – 1/0.

TAILBACKS

34 Ryan Williams (5-10, 204, r-Fr.) – 27/0. Rushed for 159 yards on 18 carries for his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season and scored one touchdown. Caught one pass for 23 yards. Broke eight tackles.

25 Josh Oglesby (5-11, 210, r-Soph.) – 20/0. Rushed for 29 yards on 10 carries. Broke four tackles.

4 David Wilson (5-9, 194, Fr.) – 18/3. Rushed for 34 yards on 13 carries and scored a touchdown. Broke four tackles.

37 Zac Evans (5-10, 190, Fr.) – 0/0.

FULLBACKS

42 Kenny Jefferson (5-10, 238, r-Sr.) – 10/0.

31 Kenny Younger (5-11, 214, r-Jr.) – 11/7.

21 Joey Phillips (5-11, 214, r-Fr.) – 0/0.

SPLIT ENDS

29 Xavier Boyce (6-4, 224, r-Fr.) – 25/11.

81 Jarrett Boykin (6-2, 219, Soph.) – 31/8. Caught three passes for 69 yards, including a 41-yarder for a touchdown.

7 Marcus Davis (6-4, 234, r-Fr.) – 4/5. Caught an 80-yarder for a touchdown for his first collegiate reception.

80 Brandon Dillard (5-11, 176, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

FLANKERS

19 Danny Coale (6-0, 208, r-Soph.) – 41/4. Caught two passes for 27 yards, including a 24-yarder for a touchdown.

11 Dyrell Roberts (6-2, 191, Soph.) – 39/4. Rushed once for 18 yards.

83 Patrick Terry (5-11, 190, r-Soph.) – 1/0.

90 D.J. Coles (6-3, 223, Fr.) – 3/10.

35 Austin Fuller (6-2, 218, r-Fr.) – 4/7.

Left tackles

77 Ed Wang (6-5, 313, r-Sr.) – 56/8. Graded out at 89 percent, with five knockdowns.

54 Nick Becton (6-5, 311, r-Fr.) – 8/0.

Left guards

70 Sergio Render (6-3, 313, Sr.) – 51/8. Graded out at 84 percent, with six knockdowns.

75 Greg Nosal (6-5, 288, r-Soph.) – 30/0. Graded out at 83 percent, with a knockdown.

Centers

60 Beau Warren (6-3, 286, r-Jr.) – 56/0. Graded out at 82 percent, with two knockdowns.

67 Michael Via (6-6, 277, r-Fr.) – 8/0.

Right guards

68 Jaymes Brooks (6-2, 297, r-Soph.) – 39/8. Graded out at 82 percent, with six knockdowns.

75 Greg Nosal (6-5, 288, r-Soph.) – 0/0.

64 Richard Graham (6-6, 296, r-Sr.) – 8/0.

Right tackles

62 Blake DeChristopher (6-5, 312, r-Soph.) – 53/8. Graded out at 81 percent, with a team-high eight knockdowns.

72 Andrew Lanier (6-5, 281, r-Soph.) – 11/0.

TIGHT ENDS

8 Greg Boone (6-3, 287, r-Sr.) – 32/13.

88 Andre Smith (6-4, 268, r-Jr.) – 32/18. Caught one pass for seven yards.

18 Sam Wheeler (6-3, 256, r-Sr.) – 13/12.

87 Prince Parker (6-5, 235, r-Jr.) – 3/0.

85 Rob Stanton (6-4, 237, r-Jr.) – 2/0.

DEFENSE

Stud ends

47 Nekos Brown (6-2, 244, Sr.) – 24/8. Graded out higher than any defensive player. Had three solo tackles, including one for a loss, and four assists. Also had a sack and three hurries.

33 Chris Drager (6-3, 247, r-Soph.) – 32/17. Had a solo tackle and an assist.

55 Isaiah Hamlette (6-4, 245, r-Fr.) – 3/0.

Ends

6 Jason Worilds (6-2, 256, r-Jr.) – 24/3. Recorded two solo tackles and a sack.

82 Steven Friday (6-4, 235, r-Jr.) – 31/2. Had two solo tackles and two assists.

Nose tackles

91 John Graves (6-3, 279, r-Jr.) – 24/4. Returned to the starting lineup. Had a solo tackle and two assists.

56 Demetrius Taylor (6-0, 274, r-Sr.) – 19/4. Tallied two assists.

93 Kwamaine Battle (6-0, 283, r-Soph.) – 7/0. Had a solo tackle – for a loss.

Tackles

95 Cordarrow Thompson (6-2, 307, r-Sr.) – 22/1. Registered a solo tackle and an assist.

98 Antoine Hopkins (6-0, 299, r-Fr.) – 28/2. Had two assists and broke up a pass.

53 Dwight Tucker (6-1, 280, r-Fr.) – 15/0. Had a solo tackle.

Mike linebackers

52 Barquell Rivers (6-0, 234, r-Soph.) – 32/0. Finished with a solo tackle and three assists.

51 Bruce Taylor (6-2, 236, r-Fr.) – 12/3. Had a solo tackle and an assist.

94 Mark Muncey (5-11, 217, r-Sr.) – 15/4. Had three solo tackles and an assist.

Backers

36 Jake Johnson (6-2, 234, Soph.) – 18/2. Tallied three solo tackles and two assists. Also broke up a pass.

39 Lyndell Gibson (5-11, 222, r-Fr.) – 26/3. Had three solo tackles, including one for a loss, and also broke up a pass.

38 Quillie Odom (6-2, 230, Soph.) – 15/4. Had a solo tackle and two assists.

Whip linebackers

26 Cody Grimm (5-11, 204, r-Sr.) – 24/15. Recorded three solo tackles and two assists.

41 Cam Martin (6-1, 212, r-Sr.) – 19/8. Had three solo tackles and an assist.

43 Jeron Gouveia-Winslow (6-2, 200, r-Fr.) – 16/9.

28 Alonzo Tweedy (6-2, 185, r-Fr.) – 0/13.

44 Zach Luckett (6-3, 203, r-Jr.) – 0/13.

Rovers

24 Dorian Porch (5-11, 206, r-Sr.) – 27/11. Finished with a solo tackle.

2 Davon Morgan (5-11, 201, Jr.) – 16/17. Had three solo tackles and a sack.

23 Matt Reidy (6-1, 215, r-Sr.) – 16/15. Had two solo tackles and three assists.

Field corners

21 Rashad Carmichael (5-10, 184, r-Jr.) – 33/2. Registered three solo tackles and an assist. Broke up a pass. Intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown.

9 Cris Hill (5-11, 185, r-Soph.) – 6/10. Had two solo tackles on special teams.

Boundary corners

22 Stephan Virgil (5-11, 191, Sr.) – 29/1. Tallied two solo tackles and an assist. Also had an interception.

15 Eddie Whitley (6-1, 184, Soph.) – 0/0.

20 Jayron Hosley (5-10, 170, Fr.) – 20/20. Had three solo tackles and an assist.

37 Jacob Sykes (6-0, 193, r-Soph.) – 13/8.

Safeties

17 Kam Chancellor (6-4, 229, Sr.) – 33/4. Recorded three solo tackles.

15 Eddie Whitley (6-1, 184, Soph.) – 30/19. Had a solo tackle and recovered a fumble.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kickers

49 Matt Waldron (5-11, 190, r-Sr.) – 0/8. Kicked field goals of 31 and 40 yards, but missed from 49 yards.

48 Justin Myer (6-0, 198, Soph.) – 0/9. Five of his nine kickoffs went for touchbacks.

Punters

97 Brent Bowden (6-3, 201, r-Sr.) – 0/12. Averaged 48.8 yards per punt on four punts, with a long of 54. Placed two inside the 20.

30 Brian Saunders (6-0, 197, r-Jr.) – 0/0.

Snappers

50 Collin Carroll (6-3, 243, r-Soph.) – 0/12.

63 Matt Tuttle (6-0, 228, r-Sr.) – 0/0.

Reminder of basketball clinic slated for Oct. 17

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:03:45 -0500

Registration for the Virginia Tech men’s basketball coaches clinic on Oct. 17 in the new basketball practice facility is available on-line. To register for the event, contact the men’s basketball office in Cassell Coliseum at 540-231-6725 or click the link to the application on hokiesports.com/mbasketball. The event is open to all coaches, male and female, including high school, youth and amateur league coaches.

The event will feature a group of clinicians highlighted by Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg. The clinic schedule will also include a lectures by Bill Hodges, who was the head coach at Indiana State in 1979 when the Sycamores advanced to the NCAA Championship Game and Ernie Nestor, former head coach at Elon and a former assistant at Wake Forest. In addition to these lectures, the clinic will also include the ability to observe Virginia Tech men’s basketball team practices, as well as a question & answer session with the entire Virginia Tech coaching staff. Rooms are available at the brand new Hilton Garden Inn for those who might need overnight housing. Please call 540-552-5005 and mention that it is for the VT Coaches Clinic.

“We have a terrific line-up of speakers for this year’s coaches clinic,” head coach Seth Greenberg said. “Bill Hodges, Larry Bird’s collegiate coach who led Indiana State to the championship game of the 1979 NCAA Tournament and Ernie Nestor, who helped build Wake Forest into one of the elite basketball programs in the country, along with myself, will headline this year’s clinic. The clinic is designed for both men and women coaches of all ages, with an emphasis on player development and team concepts.”

Cost of the clinic is $50 per coach. Participants will receive a clipboard and t-shirt and lunch will be provided.

Johnson named to Ferrum Hall of Fame

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:56:45 -0500

Virginia Tech assistant men’s basketball coach James Johnson will be inducted into the Ferrum College Alumni-Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming activities Saturday.

Joining Johnson in the Class of 2009 are football players Anthony Drakeford and Joe Happe, tennis player Doug Buerlein, field hockey and basketball player Mickey Freeman, former assistant football coach Carroll Rabon, Jr. and former athletic director Dr. Coulbourn Tyler.

The group will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, which was chartered in 1994, during an alumni awards luncheon at 10:30 a.m. on the college campus and will be recognized at halftime of the football game between Ferrum and Methodist (N.C.) University. With the group's induction, the HOF will have 100 members.

Johnson, a four-year player and three-year starter for Ferrum's men's basketball team from 1989-93, has been an assistant basketball coach at Virginia Tech since the summer of 2007.

Prior to joining Seth Greenberg's staff, Johnson held assistant coaching positions at NCAA Division I schools Old Dominion University (ODU), Elon (N.C.) University, College of Charleston (S.C.), Penn State University and George Mason University.

Johnson started on the Panthers' USA South Athletic Conference championship squad in 1992, which reached the second round of the Division III tournament, and their 1993 regular-season title-winning club.

Johnson began his coaching career at Ferrum under Bill Pullen, the coach for whom he played while at the college.