Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • C1

Soorts III il ij '4 1 SUNDAY November 15, 2009 TlmesDtepatcFLCom IKWttMH Richmond Times-Dispatch Sports Editor: Steve Trosky (804)649-6456 stroskytimesdispatch.com No. 6 Highland Springs 17, No. 2 Varina 16 Eagles inch by Cavs Some close plays mark loss that bars bowl eligibility for Virginia A big day for BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS Times-Dispatch Staff Writer CHARLOTTESVILLE A team that started the season with too many quarterbacks found itself with none Wednesday. Only a gutsy effort by Jameel Sewell, who wasn't supposed to play, kept Virginia in yesterday's game. Ultimately, he fell 2 inches short on a fourth-down play, Boston College's Dave Shinskie picked up those inches on his fourth-down run, and the Eagles prevailed 14-10.

"I feel bad for the players," coach Al Groh said. "A total of 6 inches, that was the difference between the two teams." Sewell, a Hermitage graduate, hadn't practiced in nearly two weeks when Marc Verica came in Wednesday night with a concussion. Sewell took as much practice as he could Thursday and steeled himself to play. The team's only other options were freshman Riko Smalls, who See CAVALIERS, Page C7 4.F A MARK GORMUSTIMES-HSPATCH Highland Springs' John Saunders (22 carries, 94 yards) heads for a touchdown against Varina In the fourth quarter. MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE g.

8o Inside the action For photo highlights from this game, go to TimesDispatch.com. Kaywiri: slideshow Boston College linebackers Mike McLaughlin (34) and Jake Slnkovec sandwich U.Va. quarterback Jameel Sewell. Blocked field goal attempts key to victory, district title BY ARTHUR UTLEY Times-Dispatch Staff Writer Chalk up another victory for defense and special teams in a meaningful football game. Highland Springs blocked two field goal attempts by Varina, one at the end of the first half and the other with 18 seconds remaining, to edge the Blue Devils 17-16 yesterday afternoon before a crowd of about 4,000 at Highland Springs.

The victory set off a joyful celebration for the Springers and their fans. Sixth-ranked in The Times-Dispatch Top 10, Highland who joined the team for the third game, booted a 22-yard field goal on the Springers' first possession and kicked two extra points, including the game-winner with 1:24 remaining. Varina took a 6-3 lead on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Hermon Norrell to Tony Tate in the second quarter, but Cody McDa-niel missed the extra point. The play of the first half came with 3 seconds left when Springers lineman Rashad Winston blocked a field goal try by McDaniel. The ball popped into the air.

Wyatt Johnson caught the ball and raced 70 yards for a touchdown. See SPRINGERS, Page C10 Springs (6-0, 9-1) won the Capital District title and a guaranteed berth in the Central Region Division 6 playoffs next Saturday. Second-ranked Varina (5-1, 8-2) lost by a point for the second time this season. The reigning region Division 6 champions will watch the playoffs from the stands this year. "We had opportunities with our special teams game, and we didn't execute," Varina coach Stu Brown said.

"Highland Springs executed, and they won the ballgame." Highland Springs kicker Oscar Portillo, Y1BONIA TECH MARYLAND 9 Holrfes crush Terps But with Georgia Tech winning yesterday, does it mean anything? BY DARRYL SLATER Times-Dispatch Staff Writer H-SC gets revenge with championship HAMPDEN-SYDNEYM, MNtM4UC0N27 ODAC football Cfc Richmond rolls past Georgetown. COLLEGE PARK, Md When a game that had been over for hours officially ended, the Virginia Tech Ho-kies celebrated Hke they usually da Coach Frank Beamer smiled as he walked off the field, waving to the fans sitting in the visiting section of Byrd Stadium. Cornerbacks Stepban Virgil and Rashad Carmichael mugged for photos, flashing the palms of then-new gloves, special for this game, to show the "VT" logo on them. They rightfully rejoiced yesterday's 36-9 win over Maryland, a dominant performance in winch they led by at least 11 points from the 4:55 mark of the first quarter on; more than doubled the Terrapins in yards, 484-236; and got one of the most complete performances of junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor's career. But as the players poured into the locker room, they were unaware that about an hour earlier, just after 3 pjiL, another game in Durham, N.C, was tempering some of the remaining See Fogleman's kickoff return for TD lifts Tigers to win, berth in D-III playoffs BY JIM McCONNELL Special Correspondent As the final piece of his team's preparations for yesterday's Old Dominion Athletic Conference clash with Randolph-Macon, Hampden-Sydney coach Marty Favret made his players watch a video Friday night.

This wasn't some funny, feel-good movie intended to keep an unbeaten team loose before its most important game of the season. It was a horror flick: the Tigers surrendering 21 unanswered points to squander a 21-10 fourth-quarter lead, then looking on helplessly as the Yellow Jackets and their fans celebrated their 2008 ODAC title on Hampden-Sydney's field. "We didn't even really need to talk about it this week because everybody knew what we were thinking," Ham- pden-Sydney quarterback Corey Sedlar said. 'We've been thinking about it since last November. It's been on our minds the whole time, and it's been a big-time motivating factor." The Tigers needed every bit of motivation yesterday because they had their hands full against an equally fired-up Randolph-Macon squad.

While Steven Fogleman's 90-yard kickoff return early in the fourth quarter provided the decisive points in Hampden-Sydney's 34-27 victory, nobody on the visitors' sideline exhaled until a fourth-down pass by Yellow Jackets quarterback Austin Faulkner fell incomplete with 32 seconds left. "It feels pretty surreal right now. I'm sure it will hit maybe next week when we're preparing for a playoff game, but See TIGERS, Page C6 DEAN HOFFMEYERTHES-HSPATCH am pd en-Sydney's Kirk Rohle celebrates his 3-yard scoring run In the Tigers' victory over conference rival Randolph-Macon. 1.