Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • E1

1111 9TDCYD1 TD Daily Sports 11-19 1111 9TDCYD 1 ZALLCALL 1 11 904 ouidoors E4 SCOREBOARD E10 NBA E12 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2004 Bnaux SECTION PORTS Vknta Junior qurtBrinck Mvques Hagns trykuj to Editor Jack Beminpr (804) 649-6445 jbemingBrtnfmesdispatdiotn tun around Ms slump a E8 www.TimetDiipatch.coni NO. 15 VIRGINIA TECH 55, MARYLAND 6 Pttnnietime pBMmeliini( Hokies score early and often off Terrapins' turnovers in ACC rout BY MIKE HARRIS Times-Dispatch Staff Wms blacksburg Virginia Tech's past four Atlantic Coast Conference affairs had all been relatively close. Given that Maryland hadn't given up more than 22 points in a game this season, last night's contest between the Terrapins and Hokies at Lane Stadium figured to be another close one. 1 thought it was going to be the very same game" like the Hokies had been play INSIDE PAGE E9: The tight ends come througi for VirtfniaTech. ing, Tech coach Frank Beamer said.

"Whoever made the plays in the fourth quarter was going to win the football game." Wrong. The fourth quarter didn't matter. Things turned ugly early for Maryland, and Tech took full advantage. Maryland had four first-half turnovers and five overall Tech scored after all of them en route to a 55-6 victory before an announced crowd of 65,115. The victory was the sixth in a row for the ISth-ranked Hokies, who improved to 5-1, 8-2 with two games to play.

Maryland, which won at least 10 games in each of fourth-year coach Ralph Fried-gen's first three seasons, fell to 2-5, 4-6 and cannot SEE HOKIES, PAGE E9 Beamer uses his mother's lessons v-w ilZr 7S. v. -n i -t k. i rf w5r- VslTu BLACKSBURG He's always been his mother's son. She's the one he could count on to set him straight or give him a well-intentioned push.

His dad, Raymond, the highway engineer? He was the laid-back parent, an easygoing presence. Herma, the no-nonsense schoolmarm of Fancy Gap? You couldnt put anything over on Hernia. Frank Beamer pretty much didnt even try. He lost her early yesterday morning, hours before he was due at his Virginia Tech office to cram for last nighf football outing against Maryland. Herma Beamer was 86, and she'd spent her entire life side trips excepted Bob Upper within a half-mile radius of the nnintnf view brick home where she lived alone point ot view Her horizons were maybe limited geographically.

But in other ways emotionally, spiritually, you name it she saw beyond Carroll County and passed along a blueprint of setting goals and working to achieve them to her four children. Her youngest was particularly attentive. "Some of the qualities I have, I can see Fm like SEE LIP PER, PAGE 8 DEAN HOmmBmim-DBPiUCH Virginia Tech's Jonathan Lewis reaches Maryland backup quarterback Jordan terry for a sack in the second quarter. terry was brought in to replace ineffective starter Joel Statham, but it didn't matter as the Hokies rolled to a 5 5-6 win at Lane Stadium. Earnhardt dollars and sense Wake fights off runsbyVCU Hp off Section Look for a preview of the college basketball lection in today's Umei-Diipatch.

Season has marked driver's development as a businessman BY NATE RYAN Times-Dispatch Star Witter HOMESTEAD, Fl. rihe crowning moment that could catapult I NASCAR toward unprecedented crossiul-X tural appeal probably won't happen for the sporf 8 biggest star this weekend. To win a championship with the potential of putting the Nextd Cup Series on the front pages of every major newspaper and magazine in North America, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will need to tame a speedway he never has solved and count on missteps by Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. But if a transcendent title coronation doesn't take place at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, 2004 wont be lacking for watershed moments in Earnhardt's career.

This season, he turned 30 and completed a transformation from carefree, freewheeling par-tygoer to actively involved, professionally determined owner-driver who has grown to appreciate the inner workings of team management 1 don't know if ifs made me a better race- SEE EARNHARDT, PAGE E2 Harper scores 17 as Rams give Deacons another tough game BY JOHN PACKETT Times-Dispatch Staff Wpjtbr winston-salem, N.c. When Wake Forest reaches the NCAA tournament next March, the Demon Deacons may hope they dont Virginia Commonwealth in their For the second WAKE 81 time in as many VCU 67 seasons, VCU made Wake Forest work hard for a victory. Last nighf 81-67 win wasn't as dose as last March's one-pointer in the first round of the NCAAs, but the Deacons weren't able to put away the Rams until the closing minutes. The latest version wasnt decided until the final 10 minutes, when the second-ranked Deacons (20) went to the foul line 18 Earnhardt Jr. Ford 400 Sunday: 1 p.m.

Where: Home-Htead-Miami Speedway On the air TV WWBT-12; Radio WRXL (102.1), WSVS (800) InsMs: Chesterfield native Denny Hamlin will drive full time for Joe Gibbi Racing in the Buich Series next year. Page E2 tinua making 15 to pull away in a second-round game of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament 1 expected nothing less than a tough game," said Wake Forest coach Slop Prosser. 1 dont think the NIT committee did us any favors with the bracket they put us in." Wake Forest guard Chris Paul, who sat out much of the first half in foul trouble, scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half, 12 of them from the free-throw SEE RAMS, PAGE E7 chuck BUBnmrrHE msocwecd puss Wake Forest's Chris Paul (left) steals the ball from Virginia Commonwealth's B.A. Walker in the Deacons' 81-67 win. Paul scored 14 of his team -high 16 points in the second half.

QUICK FEAT THE SECOND SEASON Varina and Hermitage want to stay perfect in Central Region, Division 6 playoffs; Henrico seeks to extend program's turnaround in Division PlOjS El 1 SPORTS 'SPOTLIGHT' Hie Spotlight, focusing on local schools and recreation, makes it debut today. Pigs E5-6. Clover Hill takes 68 minutes to advance to the state Group AAA boys volleyball final. Deep Run, meanwhile, folia just as fast. Pigs El 1.