The Daily News Leader from Staunton, Virginia • 11

'W)t 2Ceu5 frailer Inside Today Suction PORTS Sports Editor Hubert Grim III, 213-9131, hgrimiiinewsleader.com www.newsleader.com Sunday, October 3, 2004 College Football to pay back Moimtameers The Associated Press Anaheim'sTroy Percival celebrates the final out Saturday in Oakland, Calif. Angels, LA. clinch division championships with late rallies Details on Page B3 one," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "I think we could have done some things earlier to put the game away, but we kind of like to make them hard, I guess." On the visitors' last possession, Marshall pitched the ball to Charles Hales, a backup quarterback who lined up in the backfield on the play and completed a 32-yard pass to Eddie Jackson. With a 15 -yard penalty for roughing the passer tacked on, WVU had the ball at Tech's 41.

But on the very next play, Fuller ended the Mountaineers' hopes by picking offapassatthe 22. Please see HOKIES, PageB5 Tech turns tables from last year's upset loss The Associated Press BLACKSBURG A year after West Virginia dashed Virginia Tech's national title aspirations, the Hokies returned the favor. Brandon Pace kicked four field goals to atone for last week's late miss and Virginia Tech played superb defense to beat No. 6 West Virginia 19-13 Saturday, paying back the Mountaineers for that 2003 upset. Vincent Fuller intercepted Rasheed Mar shall's pass with 18 seconds left to seal the victory for Virginia Tech (3-2), which held on after taking a 16-0 lead in the second half.

"They embarrassed us last year," said Tech defensive end Jim Davis, who blocked a WVU field goal attempt in the second quarter. "All the coaches kept reminding us how they just gave it to us last year. So, they came to our house, and we had to give it back." The Mountaineers (4-1) might have been starting to think about going undefeated, because all their remaining opponents are unranked. Last year, the Hokies' national title aspirations were Inside State football roundup, Georgia blows out LSU, B5 N.C. State tops Wake In overtime, B5 dashed by a 28-7 loss at West Virginia.

"It's a long season," said West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. "There will be very few teams that are undefeated." The win ended WVU's streak of 11 wins in the regular season. The last time the Mountaineers had dropped a regular-season game was a 22-20 loss to Miami on Oct. 2, 2003. "I'm glad to win a close The Associated Press Virginia Tech's Bryan Randall tosses the ball In the grasp of West Virginia's Jeff Noechel as Ernest Hunter closes Saturday at Blacksburg.

Eagles tackle tough task Tik WvU 1 Vincent LerzThe News Leader Hofstra's Sherief Little pressures James Madison's L.C. Baker during Saturday's JMU victory in Harrisonburg. JMU piles up yards in win 1 Bridgewater stops Hampden-Sydney on homecoming By Mark Griffin Sports Writer BRIDGEWATER Most football teams prefer to schedule teams they can easily beat for homecoming games. Hampden-Sydney, Bridgewater's opponent on Saturday, happened to be the best team on the Eagles' slate. Bridgewater responded by grabbing the Tigers by the tail en route to a big 37-28 win before 3,267 fans at Jopson Field.

The Eagles put forth their best effort of the season as they opened Old Dominion Athletic Conference play. It was the defense that made the difference as BC recovered a fumble and had two interceptions that proved crucial. BC got the game's first points after Antonio Burt recovered a Nick Ferrante fumble at the Tigers' 30 with 11:06 left in the first period. Six plays later, David Blackwell booted a 29-yard field goal as BC went on top 3-0. The lead stretched to 10-0 after Adrian Herndon returned an interception 55 yards for a score on the next H-S possession.

The Tigers got on the board on their next possession with a four-play, 52-yard drive that was capped by Johnny Junes' 1-yard plunge, but Alex Bland missed the extra point to make to 10-6. A 32-yard Blackwell field goal made it 13-6 after the first period. The Eagles then scored on a beautiful 42-yard pass from Brandon Wakefield to Waynesboro grad Jacobie Napier, and Blackwell's kick made it 20-6 early in the second. H-S got back into the game with two NFL Insider: All's not well for Florida teams Details on Page B9 Local Golf Golfer honored for his academics HARRISONBURG Barry Londeree, a senior at James Madison University, was selected a Division 1 2004 Cleveland All-America Scholar recipient by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Londeree, a Buffalo Gap graduate, owns a 74.4 stroke average and a 3.65 grade point average.

He is the second golfer to receive this honor in JMU history. To earn this recognition, a golfer must be a junior or senior, have competed in golf two full years, participate in 70 percent of his team's competitive rounds, own a stroke average less than 76 and maintain a grade point average of 3.2 or higher. Auto Racing Castroneves sits on California pole FONTANA, Calif. Helio Castroneves will start on the pole for the third consecutive race, and second year in a row at California Speedway. The two-time Indianapolis 500 champion turned in a lap at 21 7.47 mph on Saturday in qualifying for the Toyota 400.

Scott Dixon will start in the No. 2 spot in the Indy Race League event on Sunday after logging a lap of 21 6.30 mph. Two-time defending champion Sam Homish was third fastest, with a lap of 216.06. Darren Manning escaped serious injury when his car spun out and rammed into a SAFER barrier in the second turn during his second qualifying lap. Horse Racing Funny Cide finally wins at Belmont NEW YORK Funny Cide is New York's hero again.

The gutsy gelding stormed into the lead down the stretch and pulled away for a sweet victory in the rain in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Saturday. And just like that the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preak-ness winner had that elusive over the same wet racetrack wheie he suffered his biggest defeat a loss in the Belmont Stakes that ended his bid for the Triple Crown. With Jose Santos back aboard Funny Cide, the 4-year-old gelding ran an unusual race. The New York bred took the lead early, dropped back near the far turn and looked to be out of contention just before the field turned for home. However, Funny Cide fought past Newfoundland In the stretch and crossed the finish line to cheers.

Staff, Wire Reports Vincent LerzThe News Leader Bridgewater's Marcus Washington tries to break the tackle of Hampden-Sydney's Daniel Park during Saturday's Bridgewater victory. James Madison's runners team up to hurt Hofstra By Ron Hartlaub Sports Writer HARRISONBURG James Madison rolled up 494 yards in offense while rolling over Atlantic 10 foe Hofstra, 31-21. Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium. Sophomore tailbacks Maurice Fenner and Alvin Banks did the bulk of the work on the ground. Fenner, who missed last week's game at West Virginia with an injury, ran for 149 yards and three touchdowns.

Banks had his third game over 100 yards, finishing with 120 on 19 carries. "I thought (Hofstra) got really tired in the middle of the second quarter," said JMU head coach Mickey Matthews. "When youe got fresh running backs in the fourth quarter, it's a huge advantage." After sharing time behind center in the first three games, sophomore Justin Rascati got all the snaps and took advantage, completing 19-of-22 pass es for 188 yards and a score. "Justin was getting in a pretty good rhythm," said Matthews of the decision to stay with just Rascati. "I felt it was our best chance of winning.

I thought he made some good athletic plays." "We did a great job of attacking their weaknesses," Rascati said. "I think we wore them down and got them in situations where they didn't know what we were going to do. I still don't think we're clicking on all cylinders. Once we do that, we canbe dangerous." The Dukes also got a break on defense when the Pride had to sit out quarterback Bobby Seek, who was nursing a leg injury. Last week against Rhode Island, Seek passed for 560 yards and a school-record eight touchdowns in a 62-43 Hofstra victory.

"You have to take your hat off to Hofstra that they competed that hard without their starting quarterback," Matthews said. With the score tied Please see JMU, Page B4 Robert E. Lee Girls' Coaches 1994 Steve Walk 1995 Joe O'Donnell 1996-97 John Darcus 1998 Russ Ralston 1999-02 Dan Bonner 2003-04 Dean'na Mitchelson 2004-05 Jeff Bright Girls' basketball played In winter season. ily atmosphere, and we'll work hard and do the best we can do. If we're patient, we'll have success." i toff Vincent LerzThe News Leader girls' basketball coaches in six seasons.

Conversely, Ie boys' basketball coach Paul I latcher is entering his 37th season. The hope is Bright will be part of Lee's program for a while. "Hopefully, I'll bring stability," Bright said. "I told the girls I was looking forward to being their coach and establishing Lee back in the Valley District." Dan Bonner, who took the Lee Ladies to the state tournament twice in four years, said stability is exactly what the program Bridgewater's Brandon Mays tackles Hampden-Sydney's C. W.

Clemmons on Saturday. more scores before the half. Quarterback J.D.Ric-ca scored on a 3-yard run then connected with Drew Smith for a 12-yard TD pass. Bland converted on the first extra point, but C.W. Clemmons' two-point run was stopped as the Eagles went to the locker room leading 20-19.

BC opened the third quarter with a seven-play, 68-yard drive that ended with Marcus Washington's 10-yard TD run that made it 27-19 after Blackwell's kick. The Tigers closed the gap with a 46-yard TD run Please see EAGLES, Page B4 Deaf and the Blind, and he spent last year coaching basketball at Fishburne Military School before returning to his alma mater. This Is Bright's first coaching job in a public school. "We thought he was a really good fit," said Kaye Roberts, athletic director at Robert E. Lee.

"We were looking for someone interested in taking Lee back to the state. He went to Lee High, and he did a great job with the team at VSDB. We were real imprcs- Lee Ladies hope for bright future with new coach sed with his coaching ability." Bright becomes the third basketball coach at Lee in three seasons. Lee started its Bright girls' basketball program in 1972, and in that time, only four coaches have coached for four years or more. Not including the years when Dan Bonner was the head coach from 1999 to 2002 Lee has had five needs right now.

"Kids in the community grow up knowing they're going to play for a coach," Bonner said, "and they know what to expect." Lee junior Kristen Crawford played for Bonner as a freshman and former University of Virginia forward Dean'na Mitchelson last season. Crawford expects the team to be in shape and disciplined under her latest coach. "We are going to be a team," Bright said. "Basically, it's going to be a fam- Lee grad coached Fishburne Military last season By Chris Lassiterstaff classlternewsleader.com STAUNTON The future of the Robert E. Lee girls' basketball program is Bright.

Lee alum Jeff Bright was recently named girls' basketball coach at the school. Bright coached boys' basketball for five years at the Virginia School for the.