Virginia
UVA Football: Who Are Virginia’s Most Important Players Moving Forward
The football program at Virginia has come off to a relatively good start, garnering three wins and only dropping one contest against Maryland. The cavaliers will have to rely on a number of key players to keep this success afloat.
QB Anthony Colandrea
Colandrea is no surprise here. He is the starting quarterback and the engine of this Cavalier offense. The sophomore has been clocking an encouraging upward trend in his completion percentage and touchdown numbers. His completion percentage was around 75% for the first two games of the season before a drop to 56% against Maryland. Colandrea picked it up against Coastal Carolina, clocking in at 65%. He also threw for two touchdowns against Coastal Carolina and Richmond, three against Wake Forest. but threw for zero against Maryland. He will have to make sure to limit turnovers, however, as he threw two interceptions each against Wake Forest and Maryland. Colandrea’s ability to protect the ball on offense and continue to improve will determine the future of the Cavalier football season.
WR Malachi Fields
Malachi Fields has been the leader on the receiving front for Virginia. He collected two touchdowns against Coastal Carolina and had 100+ receiving yards versus Richmond and Wake Forest. The 6’4 Charlottesville native seems to be picking up steam, which could be invaluable for the Cavaliers if he can keep it up. Fields must stay cool under pressure as he will continue to draw the top cover-guys from ACC squads and be tested in the latter part of the schedule.
RB Xavier Brown
Xavier Brown had a killer performance against Coast Carolina. He rushed for 171 yards with his longest run going for 75 yards . This was the definition of a breakout game, as he had not recorded over 100 rushing yards in a single game in his career. This showing may be enough to make him the starter at running back. Can he continue to put together strong rushing numbers as the season progresses? His ability to do so would be invaluable to the Cavaliers.
TE Tyler Neville
Tyler Neville represents a new age for Virginia. He notably collected two touchdowns against Wake Forest. The Cavaliers have not utilized tight ends in the passing game often since Jelani Woods in 2021. He racked up 57 receiving yards against Maryland as well but only had 31 receiving yards against Coastal Carolina. His performance against Wake Forest is certainly an indicator of the great potential Neville holds. If the Cavaliers can find a consistent place for Neville in their passing game, they will find themselves with a sneaky weapon to utilize.
Safeties Jonas Sanker and Antonio Clary
Jonas Sanker and Antonio Clary are important as duo and leaders of the defense. There’s an argument to be made that these two make up one of the best, if not the best, safety tandem in the ACC currently. These two need to chase the ball and force takeaways, however. Clary recorded an interception against Coastal Carolina, the first of the season for the UVA defense. Sanker and Clary have made over 70 tackles between the two of them. Their ability to cause turnovers and make interceptions will give Virginia the turning-point advantage that they really need.
LB Kam Robinson
Kam Robinson was a notable absence in the Hoos’ only loss of the season versus Maryland. The defeat was not exactly a defensive issue, but Robinson would certainly have been able to provide a greater chance of victory. The linebacker has made 15 tackles in 3 games, including a sack against Wake Forest. His potential is high and his true impact has not been fully revealed as of yet.
DE Kam Butler
Kam Butler is a player that could be invaluable to the Hoos if he rises to the occasion. The remarkable seventh-year player has the opportunity to put pressure on opposing QBs, which will give the team a much needed boost in the pass-rushing department for the next stretch of the season. So far, he has made 15 tackles with one sack at Coastal Carolina. He’ll have to utilize his experience and game-sense in order to fuel an effective pass rush for the Cavalier for the rest of the season.
Bonus: Grady Brosterhous
We have to give a shoutout to the leader of the Grady Bunch. The junior quarterback is something of a QB sneak specialist. He has recorded just 10 yards over the whole season, but these have led to three touchdowns. If Brosterhous can be a consistent goal line playmaker for the Cavaliers this will prove to be a valuable tool on 4th and short situations.
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CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
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Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution -
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
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