Virginia will get an up-close look today at the Great Redshirting Experiment when the Cavaliers take on Wake Forest in a game that neither team can afford to lose.

Those that have clamored for a playoff system in college football should take a closer look at the current developments in the ACC.

After a 42-7 win over Charlottesville on Friday night, the postseason has officially begun for the Monticello football team after an unbeaten Jefferson District season.

With 8 minutes and 28 seconds left in the Hornets’ 48-26 victory over Fluvanna County, Orange called a timeout and subbed out a number of seniors, including Hunter, effectively ending the UVa commitment’s time as a high school quarterback. The Hornets, at 7-3 overall, were left on the outside looking in of the VHSL’s Power Poll system.

WOODBERRY — Four months ago, K.G. Gaskins was mulling over whether or not he should play football. Entering his senior year as an established baseball talent, he wondered whether it was really worth it to step on the football field for Woodberry Forest. That was until he thought about his teammates.

A former basketball player at Maryland and later at Purdue, France has seen her share of quality programs and was certainly drinking the Cavalier Kool-Aid moments after her DT3 squad dropped an exhibition game to Virginia 91-77.

It was a tough day for both the Virginia men’s and women’s tennis programs at Friday’s ITA Indoor National Championships at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.

With several of Madison’s previous opponents losing Friday, Goochland (6-4) edged out the Mountaineers (8-2) for the final playoff spot, finishing with 19.55 power points to Madison’s 19.5.

Often times, the hardest kind of tennis opponent is the one whose sole focus is keeping the ball in play via high-arcing topspin shots. The points tend to be long, leading to both mental and physical fatigue.

Colberg is listed as a wide receiver and defensive back on the roster, but fills myriad other roles. In fact, he has played some at running back, handles the kicking duties and even played a little bit at quarterback in the team’s previous meeting against STAB. But more important to the team are his leadership qualities.

Tonight in an exhibition against DT3 at John Paul Jones at 7 p.m., the new and improved Mohammed and the 15th-ranked Cavaliers will be on display.

Mere seconds after mishandling a pass on a set play off a short corner, the junior drove into the teeth of the Orange defense, spun and connected on a reverse flick to put Western up just seconds before the end of the first half. The Warriors, who are the defending state champions, went on to win 2-0 over the Hornets, picking up the Region II title and a bye in next week’s Group A/AA state tournament.

Obviously, the two Demon Deacons have had help from their supporting cast, but regardless, Wake Forest (5-3, 3-2 ACC) will enter Saturday’s game against Virginia (5-4, 3-2) ranked fourth in the nation in turnover margin.

In Woodbridge, Abby Hendrix dished out 42 assists as the Albemarle volleyball team clinched a trip to the Group AAA tournament with a 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-18) victory over Forest Park in the Northwest Region semifinals.

Kansas State coach Ron Prince will not return for the 2009 season, pushed out after failing to rebuild the Wildcats into a Big 12 contender.

Two years ago, Sean Zirkle was a quarterback at Stuarts Draft; last year, a tight end for St. Anne’s-Belfield. This year, he’s moved about two feet forward, where he plays center for the Saints’ offensive line, a unit that has St. Anne’s in position to take a run at a third straight state title.

For Hall Simmons, a relative unknown to those outside of the Virginia football program, actions speak louder than words.

The Virginia men’s team will have three players in the singles field and two teams in the doubles. The women’s squad will have one player in singles and one in doubles.

Scattershooting around the ACC, while noting that until last Saturday night, one of the teams that came the closest to stopping the nation’s current longest winning streak was Virginia ...

Yet, trying to beat the masses, Sintim left in darkness to beat the traffic in an attempt to vote with ease in this year’s election.

When Jared Green hauled in his first career touchdown catch against Miami last Saturday, it’s a good bet that his father was more excited about it than was the young Virginia receiver.

Covenant made quick work of visiting Virginia Episcopal on Tuesday, dismantling the Bishops 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-12) to advance to the state semifinals.

With just under a minute to play in the extra period, sophomore Kayla Hooper found the back of the cage off a nifty feed from Erika Elford as the Hornets prevailed 1-0 in a thrilling finish.

On Sunday at Klockner Stadium, Swanson’s team looked comatose in its final regular-season game, a 1-0 loss to the No. 18 Demon Deacons.

The All-Jefferson District volleyball team clearly showed that Western Albemarle is still the dominant squad in the district, but it also showed that a series of young, talented players are beginning to emerge at the schools that have played second fiddle to the Warriors the last few years.

Albemarle defeated Patrick Henry 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-17) in the Northwest Region volleyball quarterfinals on Tuesday night.

Trailing visiting Heritage-Leesburg by three and facing the possibility of elimination in the first round of the Region II tournament, the Warriors rallied to win the decisive fifth game and clinch a 3-2 victory (25-18, 19-25, 16-25, 25-19, 15-12).

Here’s the thing about records. They’re a lot about circumstance. They’re a lot about skill, they’re a lot about talent, but they’re even more about circumstance.

St. Anne’s victory over Blue Ridge and Covenant’s thrashing of Hargrave Military Academy set up a rematch between the Saints and Eagles in the VISAA Division II state semifinals, scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.

Jayna Hartig, now considered a redshirt sophomore, is back and hopeful of contributing to the Cavaliers, who learned Saturday that they will enter the season ranked No. 15 in the country.