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Hokie Fans: Thanks for the Support of Advance Auto Parts
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com

TechSideline.com is pleased to have Advance Auto Parts as a sponsor. Advance Auto Parts is the TSLMail sponsor, as you can see from their logo at the top of this mailing. The partnership between Advance Auto Parts (TSL's first-ever sponsor) and the TechSideline.com web site has been a great one, and we thank you for supporting Advance Auto Parts and giving them great feedback.

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Visit the Advance Auto Parts store near you, or visit their web site. Advance Auto Parts' web site includes a store locator to find the location nearest you, an on-line store where you can shop for parts and performance accessories, and information about their latest sales, special offers, and rebates.

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Don't forget Advance Auto Parts' offer of $5 off any on-line order of $25 or more!
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Advertise Your Business On TechSideline.com!

TechSideline.com has come a long way since its conception in 1996. We are the #1 media source and community covering Virginia Tech athletics; producing an average of 110,000 unique viewers and over 6 million page views each month.

We reach a coveted demographic (you know who you are) 24/7, 12 months out of the year. Furthermore, TechSideline.com provides a powerful advertising opportunity, leveraging our unique two-way medium to clearly and precisely communicate our sponsor’s marketing goals to our loyal community. This permission marketing approach has resulted in unprecedented marketing success for all our sponsors, "brick and mortar" and dot-com alike.

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Chris Horne released the final postseason version of his top 30 recruits in the state of Virginia this week, and uncommitted Robinson (Fairfax) defensive end Olu Hall remains the #1 recruit in the state, same as in the preseason list released in early September.

Hall's recruiting battle is coming down to Virginia Tech and Virginia and will go a long way to determining in-state recruiting bragging rights, which are still very much up in the air at this point.

Here's a table of the top 10 players.

Wide receiver Eddie Royal, who was named by the AP as State Group AAA player of the year, moves up from #3 to #2. The impressionable Royal is one of the more interesting stories in this recruiting season, as he shuffles his visits and keeps fans guessing where he's going to go. The battle Royal, so to speak, is coming down to VT and UVa, with Marshall and Tennessee close behind.

Beyond #3 Kent Hicks (Maryland commit) and #4 Chris Long (UVa commit) are the linebacking duo of #5 Jerod Mayo and #6 Andrew Bowman. Again, the battle here is being fought between Tech and UVa, with Tennessee being a player in the recruitment of both, so watch out for the Vols.

VT commit Sean Glennon holds steady at #7, after being ranked the #1 junior in the state last year, and VT commit Branden Ore cracks the top 10 at #8.

Behind them is the last uncommitted player in the top 10, #9 defensive lineman Clint Sintim, who -- stop me if you've heard this before -- will choose between Virginia (whom he currently favors by a small margin), Virginia Tech, and Maryland.

With #10 Cedric Peerman already committed to Virginia, it's possible that nine of the top ten players in state could go to Virginia or Virginia Tech, and as many as 14 of the top 16. Last year (2003), eight of the top ten (and 18 of the top 21) as rated by TSL signed with either Tech or UVa, with the number being seven from the Roanoke Times top 10 (and 14 of the top 17) the year before (2002).

If the Hokies and Hoos land 14 of this year's top 16, that means that over the last three years, 46 of the top 54 players as rated by either TSL or the Roanoke Times will have signed with Virginia or Virginia Tech. Gone are the days when programs like Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and UNC regularly plundered the state for top talent.

Looking down the road, it appears that the main competition for VT and UVa for in-state players will come from Maryland and Tennessee, and it's possible that with VT's entry into the ACC, N.C. State and UNC might become bigger forces in state recruiting.

The Hokies have already begun their push into North Carolina, with three commitments this year (WR Justin Harper, CB Rod Council, and RB George Bell) and QB Cory Holt from last year, who prepped at Hargrave Military and will enroll at Tech this month. Don't be surprised if the North Carolina schools, let by NCSU and UNC, start pushing back.

This Week in Recruiting
by Chris Horne

Virginia Tech will not host any visitors this weekend, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any news. Jack Britt (NC) running back George Bell, who is one of the top recruits in this year’s class, has received a qualifying ACT score and is in the process of enrolling in January at Virginia Tech. This is certainly big news, as he can learn the system early and possibly be ready, both mentally and physically, to play early next year.

He will be joined by 2003 Signees Cory Holt and DJ Parker, both of whom have qualified out of Hargrave. Wide Receiver Justin Harper, who also attended Hargrave, committed to Virginia Tech and will enroll in January, and fellow wide receiver Josh Morgan, from Fork Union, is trying to enroll in January, as well.

2003 "greyshirts" OL Matt Welsh, LB Brett Warren, and OL Nick Marshman will enroll in January, giving the Hokies eight January 2004 enrollees, if Morgan makes it. Sources tell TSL that four of the players will be counted against Tech's 2003 class, with four counted against the 2004 class.

While this weekend may be quiet in terms of visitors, the next few weekends certainly will not be. Virginia Tech will try to close out the year on a strong note. The Hokies will host many prominent targets over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

The Crown Sweepstakes Winner Is...
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com

Well, you Hokies won't be happy to hear this, but the winner of the Crown Automotive sweepstakes came from TheSabre.com, not TechSideline.com. Congratulations to Jay Carini, who won a two-year lease on his choice of an Acura TL or BMW Z3 from Crown Automotive. Jay selected the Acura, so he'll be riding in style for the next 24 months, courtesy of Crown.

In case you didn't participate or weren't aware (how could you not be, the way we hyped it?!?!), the sweepstakes ran all fall, and it was between TheSabre.com and TechSideline.com. Visitors to both web sites could answer trivia questions and register to win their choice of the Acura or the BMW. Only one winner was selected from among the entries received on the two web sites, and Jay was it.

Crown was very pleased with the results of the sweepstakes and the attention it received, so thanks to everyone who participated. We're going to try to convince them to do the sweepstakes again next year, so Hokies, that will be your chance to wrest the "Crown Automotive Cup" title back from Jay and the Hoos and send a fellow Hokie -- maybe even you! -- riding off in a new luxury auto from Crown.

We thank Crown for their continuing sponsorship of TSL, and if you are in the market for a new car, show your support of the TSL community and provide Crown first shot at winning your business. Just click the link above, or find their spot on our Sponsors Page, and give them a call.

TechSideline Pass - $34.95 a Year
(Monthly and Quarterly options also available)

• Feature Articles
• Interviews with recruits
• Editorials
• Flash recruiting updates from Chris Horne, our in-house specialist
• Recruiting prospect and class evaluations
• A subscribers-only Recruiting message board (only accessible to subscribers)
• A subscribers-only message board for general discussion

As an additional bonus, all subscribers will receive a 10% discount on all purchases made at Techlocker.com, our online store providing Hokie-related apparel and gift items. If that's not enough, you should know that your subscription will help support your favorite website, TechSideline.com.

For more info on TechSideline Pass, and to subscribe, click here. To give TSL Pass as a gift (one-year subscriptions only), click here.

-- Will Stewart

VT Recruiting War Room #11: Defense
by Chris Horne, 1/9/04, 11:45 am
Tech has done a great job of filling a big need at cornerback, with commitments from Rod Council, Brandon Flowers, and Theodore Miller. DJ Parker, who got an extra season of experience at Hargrave, will enroll in January 2004. They remain involved with potential corner prospect Damian Sims, however he is being recruited as an athlete who can play on either side of the ball. At safety, they are the clear favorite for Purnell Sturdivant (who could play RB or LB as well), and he would be an awesome addition to the defensive backfield.
in TSL Pass

TSL's Postseason Top 30 Recruits for the State of Virginia
by Chris Horne, 1/8/04, 4:50 pm
This is my final in-state Top 30 rankings for the 2004 class...a class with a lot of very good, talented players who will be able to fill in key positions over the next four years. In my opinion, this class is pretty deep in the respect of having many talented players who can contribute in some way or another on the next level. While some of the top players in the class may not start immediately as true freshmen, I expect many to contribute significantly and possibly even start as red-shirt freshmen or sophomores.
in Football Recruiting

Rutgers Snaps Hokies' Streak at 12
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 1/7/04, 11:25 pm
Piscataway, NJ -- Looming offensive woes finally caught up to the Virginia Tech women's basketball team, as they struggled from the field and turned the ball over too much in losing their first game of the season, falling to Rutgers 56-43 at the Rutgers Athletic Center. Dawn Chriss led the way with 14 points and Erin Gibson added 11, but the Hokies were doomed by poor shooting and 23 turnovers.
in Women's Hoops

Insight Bowl Analysis
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 1/7/04, 3:50 pm
For nearly two weeks now, I have put off writing this article, and the reason why is very plain to me: my appetite for analyzing more VT losses is small, very small. But once again, the loss happened, and once again, I have to analyze it. Because if I don't, there will be a weird little empty spot in my 2003 Schedule/Results page.
in TSL Pass

The Alderson Playoff System
by Jim Alderson, 1/7/04, 1:20 pm
And so the 2003 college football season has ended with what is called a split national championship. This has produced the predictable howling from the media, replete with responses ranging from piqued indignation on the part of several columnists demanding that either LSU or Southern Cal be labeled a loser to ESPN's Michelle Tafoya pouting last Sunday on the Sports Reporters that this postseason was "no fun."
in TSL Pass

Panthers Run Away from Hokies, 78-59
by Chris Coleman, 1/6/04, 10:50 pm
Pittsburgh, PA -- The Pittsburgh Panthers used a stingy second half defense to go along with big games from senior guards Jaron Brown and Julius Page to defeat Virginia Tech 78-59 Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. The Panthers got 21 and 20 points respectively from Brown and Page. The Hokies were paced by Bryant Matthews with 22 and Coleman Collins with 17.
in Men's Hoops

A Gym Rat's Notebook #1: Hey, Brother, Can You Spare a Big Man?
by Elijah Kyle, 1/6/04, 2:20 pm
It's becoming increasingly clear that the Virginia Tech basketball team is in dire need of some brawn and size for next year, and the staff is earnestly hitting the road trying to uncover an inside prospect who can step in and garner early significant minutes next year.
in TSL Pass

Hokie Hotline Notes for January 5, 2004
by Phil Noftsinger, 1/6/04, 10:30 am
The Hokie Hotline was live from Pittsburgh, where Tuesday night, the Hokies will take on the Panthers, who are undefeated in their new home court. Bill Roth and Mike Burnop started off the show by introducing men’s basketball coach Seth Greenberg and talking about the Hokies matchup against Pitt, noting that this will be VT’s Big East conference opener for this season.
in Hokie Hotline Notes

Hokie Hotline Notes for December 29, 2003
by Wayne Clevenger, 1/5/04, 9:20 am
The guests for this post-Insight Bowl edition were men's basketball assistant coach Brad Greenberg, offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, and head coach Frank Beamer.
in Hokie Hotline Notes

Tech Women Smash Overmatched Providence
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 1/4/04, 11:40 pm
Blacksburg, VA -- Virginia Tech's 15th-ranked women's basketball team blasted hopelessly overmatched Providence, jumping to a big early lead and then clearing the bench for most of the game in a lopsided win. Freshman Kirby Copeland led scored 12 points to lead Tech, as nine Hokie players played 18 minutes or more.
in Women's Hoops

Hokie Women Slip Past Liberty to Go 11-0
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 1/3/04, 12:10 am
Blacksburg, VA -- The Virginia Tech women found the going against Liberty to be pretty tough, but they prevailed anyway, scoring 14 of the game's last 18 points to put the Flames away. The Hokies were led in scoring and rebounding by sophomore guard Dawn Chriss, who posted 15 points and 12 rebounds, both game-high figures.
in Women's Hoops