Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • E1

110291DCY01E city all colors direct 1 1 0291DCY01 ZALLCALL 66 102904 THE PREPS E3 OULTJOORS E6 SCOREBOARD E7 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2004 Bnaux SECTION RsNng and witthig go hand nano idt lociwiiono PORTS Editor Jack Beminpr (804) 649-6445 jbemingetftimesdispatch.com 'E6 i www.timeidiipatch.coni i NO. 22 VA. TECH 34, GEORGIA TECH 20 The Me show Short Series was long on highlights The best and worst of the 2004 World Series: Best Player: It was hard to argue with Boston's Manny Ramirez, who was recognized as the MVP. A case could be made for at least four or five other Red Sox, but 1r Ramirez made a signifi- cant contribution with IF his bat in every game. In Game 3, his loud lum-umiiig nume run warned the St Louis that amply changing the venue to Busch Stadium wasn't going to help them.

He also threw out Larry Walker at the plate in John Mmwdn point of view the home team's first inning, allowing everyone to erase the mental image of Ramirez dropping a fly ball in Game 1 and taking a strip-mine divot out of the left-field turf at Fenway Park in the process. Hdden MVP: Two Boston players who managed to avoid the spotlight were outfielder Trot Nixon, who hit .358 with three doubles in 5" i' V. .1 j- -i- .1 ''jMgpCf -it 31 1" if -1- i ii ti it INSIDE PAGE E2: Red Sox getting used to their new moniker. Game 4, and shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who's entering free agency and may never have a higher market value. Mark Bell-horn hit .300, and his Game 1 home run was the single biggest hit of the Series.

Best Tony La Rnssa Nickname: "Mr. Sweep." La Russa has managed in four World Series. He lost this one and the 1990 Series (La Russa's Oakland A's vs. Cincinnati) in four-game sweeps. His 1988 A' 8, heavily favored, lost to Los Angeles in an uncharacteristic five.

La Russa's only Series victory, in the 1989 "Earthquake" Series vs. San Francisco, took almost two weeks to complete but also was a four-game sweep. Best Argument in Favor of the Designated Hitter: St Louis pitcher Jeff Sup-pan's Keystone Kardinals baserunningin Game 3. Most Embarrassing Cardinal Moment: Suppan was on third after failing to score from first even after Nixon slipped and fell attempting to field Edgar Renteria'8 double to right When Larry Walker grounded to first, Suppan didn't break for home as he should have. Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo was yelling "Go! Go! Go!" but Suppan was hearing "No! No! No!" He was caught off base and tagged out, defusing a potential big inning.

Most Embarrassing Red Sox Moments: Both Ramirez (Game 1) and third baseman Bill Mueller (Game 2) made errors on consecutive plays. Most Overtyped Statistic: The Red Sox deserve to be fondly recalled as the SEE AR KON, PAGE E2 MIB MM I 1 mm J-l- JOHN BAZBIOHKTHB A8SOCM3H) FRBB8 Virginia Tech's David Clowney makes a diving catch for a second-quarter touchdown as Georgia Tech's Kenny Scott defends in the Hokies' 34-20 victory. Quite a night for the Comeback Kids ATLANTA On this pre-election evening, you could call 'em Comeback Kids, and no one from the Clinton administration would sue for copyright infringement Virginia Tech's Hokies were down. But not out They were on the ropes. But still counter-punching.

They looked flat And then they soared. They overhauled Georgia Tech 34-20 last night, and if 8 too bad Helen Thomas wasnt around for the post-game press conference. She couldVe asked Frank Beamer how it was that Hokies quarterback Bryan Randall could shrug off a crummy Virginia Tech stuns Georgia Tech with 25 points in the fourth quarter BY MIKE HARRIS Staff Wbttbr Atlanta In a little more than a minute and a half last night, Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall showed exactly what Hokies coach Frank Beamer means when he says Randall can hurt a team with his arm and his legs. Randall helped wreck Georgia Tech with his right arm and both of his legs. Three touchdowns and a two-point conversion late in the final 5:28 helped the 22nd-ranked Hokies rally for a 34-20 victory over their ACC rivals before 48,398 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Randall was right in the middle of it as the Hokies improved to 3-1, Georgia Tech fell to 3-3, 4-3. Virginia Tech trailed by 14 at one point Only twice before under 18th-year head coach Beamer had the Hokies rallied from that far down to win. "Big, iig heart," Beamer said of RandalL "He had a couple of plays there early he wouldn't want to talk about But when it gets time to play nitty-gritty you can count on Bryan Randall, and that football team knows it can count on Bryan RandalL "For our football team to hang in there tonight, it really says a lot" Randall finished with 304 passing yards and three touchdowns. Starting his 33rd straight game, he called the victory "one of the best of my career." It was the first time he'd led a fourth-quarter comeback. There's a lot of people out there who say, don't think he can do it' I always had confidence I could do it," Randall said.

Travis Bell kicked a 33-yard field goal with 5:44 left to give Georgia Tech a 20-12 lead. It was a damaging sequence for the Hokies. They had a first-andgoal SEE TECH, PAGE E5 BOB Upper -rst. 1 THEASSOCIMH) PBflBS first half and rally his crew with arm point of view and feet Or how a secondary that looked so vulnerable early on could ball-hawk Jackets QB Reggie Ball into 5-for-16 misery and two interceptions after the break. Or how a squad that seemed headed for a deflating loss found its groove and floated out of Grant Field with a stirring and streak-maintaining four and counting win.

This was painstaking stuff for the Hokies. They were down 10 after a wobbly opening 30 minutes redeemed only by David Downey's diving catch of Randall's nicely-lofted prayer to the right corner of the end zone. They had only 5 fewer yards in penalties (43) than rushing (48) at that juncture. They were not shall we say crisp. But these Hokies can do resourceful things when so SEE LIP PER, PAGE E5 Virginia Tech receiver Eddie Royal celebrates his fourth-quarter touchdown reception with quarterback Bryan Randall, who finished with 3 04 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Inside Youthful answer: Wd of fie somen swing momentum in the Hokies' fa tot in a wild, come-fro -be hind victory. Pigs E5 Notes, statistics, Paga E5 THE ASSOCIMKD PRESS Red Sox right-hander Curt Schilling (left) and World Series MVP Manny Ramirez shared a hug after Game 4. Community is in mourning for its favorite son NFL inside Out of bounds: Redskins rookie Sean Taylor is arrested on a drunken driving charge. Page E8 South Hill shows sympathy for NASCAR team owner Hendrick after plane crash near Martinsville that killed Rick Hen-drick'8 son, Ricky, his brother, John, his two nieces, Kimberly and Jennifer, and six others, including the team's general manager and chief engine builder. Today at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick drivers Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte and Brian Vick-ers and their crew chiefs will speak publicly for the first time since the accident The afternoon news conference will be filled with the same sorrow and SEE HENDRICK, PAGE E8 and his lifelong bond with the team's founder.

In photos from various victory-lane ceremonies such as last year's Brickyard 400, Rick Hendrick and Matthews are smiling widely with their arms draped across each other's shoulders, signifying two decades of stock car supremacy and nearly 50 years of companionship. When Matthews has lingered on those memories this week, however, a tender moment has overridden all the others. After Ricky Hendrick rallied from a tire problem to finish fifth at Pikes Peak International Raceway in May 2001, his father pulled aside his son, then 21. "Rick told Ricky, "Mr. Matthews and I have been friends for over 40 years.

I hope in your lifetime youll have a friend and a friendship like me and Mr. Matthews Matthews, 55, said. "Now Ricky's life wasnt long enough to have that It really hurts." The pain hasnt subsided for many in the NASCAR world since Sunday's crash of a Hendrick Motorsports plane Cut to the Chaas: Players and coaches question whether a block by a Denver lineman was ethical or necessary. Radsklns notes, Page EB Bursting fantasy bubMs: Steve McNair leads list of players who have failed to live up to expectations. Pags E9 Numbers game: Team-by-team statistics.

Page E9 Post It: Fred Smoot is this week's poster boy. Back Page BY NATE RYAN Staff Wrttfji south hill The walls inside Larrie Matthews' welding supply shop are lined with memorabilia saluting the NASCAR success of Hendrick Motorsports.