Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • C1

Soorts Division 6 high school FRIDAY November 6, 2009 TlmesDtepatcFLCom teams face must-win games ce Richmond Times-Dispatch Sports Editor: Steve Trosky (804)649-6456 stroskytimesdispatch.com No walking the plank: Hokies bowl-eligible A win, minus style points Find the latest GREENVILLE, N.C Arrrgggh, matey, the Virginia Tech Hokies needed this one. They needed to avoid losing three games in a row. They needed to pay the coverage of Virginia Tech and the thoughts of Paul Woody at TimesDispatch.com. N0.22ViniNIATEGHie, EASTGAMHJNAl sports Hog East Carolina Pirates back for last year's season-opening loss embarrassment. They PAUL Hokiesgobackto basics as run game, defense dominate BY DARRYL SLATER Times-Dispatch Staff Writer GREENVILLE, N.C At times, Virginia Tech looked sloppy, tailing to cash in on scoring opportunities.

At times, it looked fortunate, when East Carolina did the same. But as the Hokies looked at the scoreboard after last night's game at Dowdy-Fick-len Stadium, they saw a 16-3 victory, something that mattered, at least for one night, more than how dazzling they appeared while achieving it. Twenty-six days had passed since the No. 22 Hokies last won, 48-14 over Boston College an afternoon at Lane Stadium when everything worked for them and the enthusiasm surrounding their season crested. But between then and last night, losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina redefined their season.

No longer were they chasing a national championship, or even in control victory playing nonconference games at this point of the season is a needless distraction and it permits the Hokies to say those two words that warm the cockles of every FBS coach with a bonus clause in his contract: bowl eligible. The Hokies' 16-3 victory against East Carolina last night at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium was short on points and long on replay reviews, fumbles and semi-spectacular scrambles by Hokies quar- See WOODY, Page C4 needed to do something to quiet the "Arrrgggh, matey" recording that came from the scoreboard whenever the Hokies faced a third-and-long. Arrrgggh, matey, that's what the Hokies did. It wasn't pretty. Some good fortune was involved.

But it was a nonconference GERRY BR00METHE ASSOCIATED PRESS Virginia Tech receiver Jarrett Boykln fights for yardage before being taken down by East Carolina's See HOKIES, Page C4 Emanuel Davis In the first half. VGU 85, Virginia Union 55 Mams waste bo time UR, NCAA resolve case School discovered improper contact during recruitment BY JOHN O'CONNOR Times-Dispatch Staff Writer letting up to speed 1 j.r i til -U'i -W-V- 1 The University of Richmond "failed to monitor its athletics program," the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions stated yesterday in its report on recruiting violations committed from August 2007 to January 2008. The committee also concluded the head men's and women's basketball coaches "did not promote an atmosphere of compliance." UR's case involved hundreds of impermissible text messages (though many during the same text and dozens of impermissible phone calls to recruits and their parents. Two basketball assistant coaches responsible for most of the prohibited commuriication men's assistant CarKn Hartman and women's assistant Chris Carroll resigned when UR discovered the infractions in November 2007 during a routine check of phone records. NCAA legislation prohibited text-message communication with recruits beginning Aug.

1,2007. UR's violations were classified major by the NCAA because rules were knowingly and repeatedly broken. UR already incurred the primary penalty, multiple recruiting restrictions during the past two school years. Those sanctions were self-imposed EVA RUSSOT1MES-DBPATCH VCU forward Larry Sanders looks for an open man as Virginia Union's Wayne Ford defends. Sanders scored 22 points.

See more See SPIDERS, Page C3 Smart's run-and-gun style is on display in victory over Panthers BY TIM PEARRELL Times-Dispatch Staff Writer In practice, Virginia Commonwealth basketball coach Shaka Smart puts 14 seconds on the shot go up." The Rams played fast and pressured the ball constantly under former coach Anthony Grant. They're playing at warp speed and pressuring the ball at every opportunity under Smart. That much was evident after Smart put the new style on display for the first time in an often chaotic, sometimes ragged 85-55 victory over Division II Virginia Union last night before a large but unannounced crowd at the Siegel Center. On back-to-back possessions after Union scored in the first half, VCU scored within five seconds. "It was hectic," Union coach Willard Coker said.

"When we scored, it was almost Eke it was an opportunity for them to run a See RAMS, Page C3 At TimesDispatch.com, see photo highlights from this game, bywrt slideshow clock. If the side that is on offense does not get up a shot in that time, it becomes a turnover. "If it's your shot," VCU guard Brandon RozzelL "we want it to Spiders corner Read John O'Connor's UR blog at TimesDispatch.com. sports All is calm in Yankeeland, for now Andy PettJtte, eligible for free agency, needs time to decide whether to retire or return for a 16th season. the board for nine, long years to mark the team's total of World Series titles.

Wind caused a few problems at the Himes complex in Tampa, but eventually the numbers were posted along with a new "2009" in what had been an open blue space below "2000." "It's a ton of joy," manager Joe Girardi said on WFAN radio later in the day. "There's a sense of relief be cause you know that you could rest your mind a little bit for a while." Turmoil and turnover ceased in Yankeeland, at least for the moment. A 7-3 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday night had brought the title back to the Bronx, etching the names of Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Mat-sui, Johnny Damon, CC Saba-thia and others into the team's long list of champions. N.Y. must soon decide who will stay, who will go The Associated Press NEW YORK The sign men were out bright and early at the Yankees minor-league complex, sticking vinyl strips with a fresh, white "27" over the "26" that had been up on "Every World Series victory is special, but this one is especially sweet coming in the first year in our new home," owner George Stein-brenner said in a statement.

"This group will become legendary similar to the 26 world championship teams that preceded them." Even though the clubhouse was still wet with See YANKEES, Back Page THE ASSOCIATED HESS.