The Virginian-Pilot

urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:1234 HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com http://www.pilotonline.com The Virginian-Pilot 2008-11-20T19:29:50-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:487810 This season in the MEAC 2008-11-13T00:24:43-05:00 2008-11-13T00:21:45-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Ready for tipoff The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's unofficial award for best overall job of scheduling goes to Hampton University. The Pirates put together a nice blend of challenging but winnable games, including several on their home court: - vs. George Mason, Nov. 20 - vs. Georgia State, Dec. 3 - vs. Delaware, Dec. 10 - at Virginia, Dec. 23 - at VCU, Dec. 27 - in Great Alaska Shootout,Nov. 26-29 What third-year coach Kevin Nickelberry says: "A big reason this job was attractive to me was the commitment from higher up to try to be a mid-major power, along the likes of VCU, ODU and GMU. It's why I left Clemson for this job. Our philosophy is to do things that help our RPI and to avoid the guarantee games if we can. That way, if we do make the NCAA field, we aren't stuck in the play-in game." By the numbers 3 Consecutive NCAA tournament play-in games in which the MEAC tournament champion has played. 87 Coppin State senior Tywain McKee's free-throw shooting percentage, tops last season in the MEAC and 21st nationally. 55 League-leading steals total last season by Norfolk State's Michael Deloach, who is a junior. 32.5 MEAC's overall 3-point percentage, which ranked last among Division I conferences last season. Over the last five seasons, the MEAC ranked next-to-last in Division I at 33.1 percent. Only the Southwest Athletic Conference, at 31.9 percent, had a lower shooting rate during that span. 1 New head coach in the MEAC: Frankie Allen (UMES). Head coach at Virginia Tech from 1987 to 1991, Allen was most recently an assistant at Maryland-Baltimore County. He has experience in the MEAC, having coached at Howard from 2000 to 2005. 7 Number of road games Delaware State will play in a one-month period against major conference squads in a brutal pay-for-play schedule: Nov. 20 - Ohio State; Nov. 22 - Kentucky; Nov. 25 - West Virginia; Dec. 1 - Connecticut; Dec. 12 - Maryland; Dec. 14 - Rutgers; Dec. 20 - Notre Dame. Did you know? Howard University will open its season with a home game against... Oregon State? Craig Robinson, brother-in-law of Barack Obama, took the head coaching job at Oregon State last spring, after coaching at Brown for two seasons. His Beavers visit Howard on Friday - the only game Oregon State will play east of the Mississippi. And it falls only 10 days removed from Obama's landmark victory. It's part of a home-and-home series in which Howard returns the favor on Dec. 20. So who wants to bet Michelle Robinson Obama might drop by to watch her brother's team in action? How about the president-elect, too? More did you know? A request to talk to Robinson about the scheduling of the Howard game and the prospects of having family/White House dignitaries in attendance was denied. While the request was made through the Oregon State athletic department, the denial was handed down by the Obama for America Oregon campaign headquarters. Super sophomores Three underclassmen who could emerge and do plenty of damage this season: Thomas Coleman, North Carolina A&T The 6-foot-9 Coleman set a school single-game record with nine blocks against Coppin State last season. He finished the year with 57 and also averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds. Trevor Welcher, Delaware State The 5-10 Welcher led the league in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.84) last season and was seventh in the league in assists at 3.07 a game. He also shot 52.6 percent from the field, almost unheard of for a point guard. Brandon Monroe, Norfolk State Listed as a junior by his school, the 6-foot-7 Monroe has sophomore eligibility and can regain a year if he keeps progressing academically. And if he keeps progressing on the court, look out: He averaged 5 points and 5.9 rebounds for NSU last season while shooting 59 percent from the field. Norfolk, VA Anonymous This season in the MEAC The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:487810 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:487966 This season for the CAA women 2008-11-13T23:12:17-05:00 2008-11-13T23:07:11-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

5 impact newcomers JoNiquia Guilford, 5-10, fr., G, Old Dominion A preseason knee injury was hardly the start to her career she wanted, but given time, the dynamic scorer from Wilson High will add more athleticism to an already athletic Lady Monarch perimeter. Sarah Williams, 6-0 jr., G, James Madison She transferred from Richmond after being part of the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team in 2005-06. Katrina Wheeler, 6-3, jr., C, Towson Wheeler is a huge addition, having started 51 of 53 games at Georgetown, where she averaged 8.1 points and 8.1 rebounds her sophomore year. Asia Jenkins, 5-9, fr., G, Hofstra The New Jersey native will be eligible in the second semester after transferring from Cincinnati. She was a first-team All-New Jersey selection her senior year in high school. Dana Olsen, 6-1, jr., F, Georgia State Olsen was No. 2 in the nation in scoring with 24.2 points per game in earning first-team All-America honors at Labette (Kan.) Community College. The rest of her line isn't shabby either: 57 percent shooting, 7.1 rebounds and 84 percent accuracy from the foul line. 5 storylines to follow 1 If the Lady Monarchs are to win an 18th straight CAA tournament title, they'll have to win three games in Harrisonburg. The last time they won a game there was in 2005. 2 Last season, Virginia Commonwealth went to the WNIT and finished 26-8, even with center Quanitra Hollingsworth missing the final 11 games with a torn Achilles'. Will the Rams be even better with the Great Bridge High graduate returning for her senior year? 3 After three straight years of recording 20 or more wins and advancing to postseason play, Delaware slumped to 7-24. Can coach Tina Martin regroup with a roster that includes four freshmen and four sophomores? 4 Two years ago, the CAA placed three teams in the NCAA tournament. It was the first time any team from the league received an at-large bid since 1996. Last year, ODU was the only team to make it, and no one other than the Lady Monarchs is in the preseason top 25 or even receiving votes. Is the CAA mediocre again? 5 Elena Della Donne, the nation's top recruit, is playing volleyball at Delaware after saying she was burned out on basketball and reneging on her commitment to UConn. What if she peeks in at a Delaware basketball practice and gets the itch to play again? They said it "At Wilmington." Seahawks coach Ann Hancock when asked if she'd like to see Della Donne playing in the CAA. "She had so many great experiences. She called me one day and said, 'Coach, I just met Usher.' " JMU coach Kenny Brooks on Tamera Young's initial season in the WNBA "Tyne Daly." ODU coach Wendy Larry's response when asked who would play her in a movie "Julia Roberts." Blue Hens coach Tina Martin's response to the same question. By the numbers 70 Blocked shots by ODU's Tiffany Green last year. 51 Consecutive victories by ODU in the CAA tournament. 26 Consecutive victories ODU has on its home court, tied for most in the nation with Hartford. 19 Points averaged by preseason Player of the Year Gabriela Marginean of Drexel last season. 5 Starters returning for Georgia State. 1 New coach in the CAA: Former Radford coach Jeri Porter replaced Debbie Taneyhill at George Mason. 5 who moved on T.J. Jordan The conference's all-time 3-point ace from ODU is playing ball in Slovenia. Britne Rodgers The Princess Anne High graduate left Hofstra last month for unspecified personal reasons. A conference All-Rookie team forward last year, Rodgers was the Pride's third-leading scorer and one of the team's top rebounders. Nikki Moats A Tennessee transfer, Moats was expected to play a huge role for JMU, but personal issues derailed her basketball career, and coach Kenny Brooks said she will not play for the Dukes. Kia Butts The Kellam High graduate who was an assistant coach at William and Mary is the school's new assistant dean of admissions. Kyle DeHaven She started at William and Mary and transferred to Delaware before finishing up second all-time in the CAA in steals. DeHaven now plays in Germany. Vicki L. Friedman, (757) 477-6874, VickiL120@cox.net Norfolk, VA Anonymous This season for the CAA women The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:487966 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488120 This season for the CAA men in college basketball 2008-11-15T00:58:56-05:00 2008-11-15T00:50:57-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

fhe favorite VCU is coming off back-to-back regular-season CAA titles and features reigning CAA Player of the Year Eric Maynor. PG Maynor and F Larry Sanders, who blocked a league-high 95 shots as a freshman, anchor a team with 10 underclassmen. the top contenders Northeastern welcomes back all five starters from a squad that finished 14-17 last season. Old Dominion is one of the league's youngest teams, but the Monarchs return F Gerald Lee and a host of players who saw significant playing time as freshmen. the darkhorse George Mason, the defending conference tournament champ, has three starters back from a 23-win team. on the rise Georgia State, a ninth-place finisher or worse in its first three years in the CAA, could be ready to move up on the strength of five Division I transfers. on the decline UNC Wilmington lost four starters to graduation, including first-team All-CAA pick T.J. Carter (15.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg). The others - Daniel Fountain, Vladimir Kuljanin and Todd Hendley - averaged 12.5 ppg or more. he said it... "It's just a great, great league, and I think it's going to make for great theater. You don't know where the top begins and where the bottom ends. It's all scrambled up, and I think it's going to be a very exciting year." - Delaware coach Monte Ross 3 to watch VCU's Eric Maynor, a 6-3 point guard, mulled turning pro after last season, but he decided to return for his senior season. Maynor's a clutch player who led the conference in assists (5.5 apg) and was second in scoring (17.9 ppg) as a junior. Old Dominion's Gerald Lee, a 6-10 junior, established himself as one of the conference's dominant post players last season, averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Northeastern's Matt Janning was third in the CAA in scoring last season, averaging 16.1 points a game. The 6-4 junior is one of the league's top 3-point shooters. trey, trey chic The NCAA moved back the 3-point line for this season, so players will launch treys from 20 feet, 9 inches - a foot longer than previously. Reaction to the move by a couple of CAA coaches: Towson's Pat Kennedy "For the guys who are marginal shooters to begin with, they'll go in that category 'Don't shoot it.' " VCU's Anthony Grant "Guys that can really shoot the basketball, I don't think that they're going to be affected by it." On the schedule Some of the more intriguing non-conference match-ups: James Madison plays Nov. 16 against Davidson in the NIT Tip-Off in Oklahoma. The Dukes face NCAA darling Davidson and sharpshooter Stephen Curry. UNC Wilmington is at Wake Forest on Nov. 17. The Seahawks visit a team picked to finish third in the ACC. Georgia State's schedule features games against two ACC teams in a five-day stretch: at home vs. Florida State on Dec. 13 and at Georgia Tech on Dec. 17. * VCU plays Oklahoma - and former coach Jeff Capel - in Oklahoma City on Dec. 20. transfer of power Eleven players are eligible to play this season in the CAA after transferring in from major Division I programs. Georgia State's roster has five transfers, followed by Towson with three, and Delaware, UNC Wilmington and William and Mary with one each. Georgia (State) on my mind The Panthers' transfers include forwards Trey Hampton and Xavier Hansbro, who left the University of Mississippi; guard Joe Dukes, who exited Wake Forest; and guard Dante Curry, who left South Florida. Hansbro and Hampton played for Ole Miss under Rod Barnes, who is in his second season as Georgia State's coach. by the numbers 4 CAA teams (VCU, Old Dominion, Hofstra and George Mason) rank among the nation's top 56 winningest programs over the past four seasons. VCU's .703 winning percentage is 25th. 11 Seasons Jim Larranaga has coached at George Mason, making him the CAA's elder statesman. 12 All 12 CAA members are slated to participate in the ESPNU Bracketbusters Feb. 20-21. 1,110 Approximate miles Northeastern will travel to play at Georgia State on Jan. 7, the conference's longest road trip. The Huskies play at non-conference foe South Florida (1,356 miles) on Nov. 29. coach on the hot seat Drexel's Bruiser Flint is coming off a 12-20 finish, his worst record in 12 seasons as a college head coach and the Dragons' lowest win total since 1991. super sophs Four players who are coming off big freshman seasons: Old Dominion's Ben Finney started 17 games, and an improved jump shot could make him more dangerous. Hofstra's Charles Jenkins scored in double figures 27 times and averaged 15 ppg. UNC Wilmington's Chad Tomko started all 33 games at point guard and averaged 8.6 ppg. VCU's Larry Sanders led the Rams in rebounding (5.1 per game) and was an All-CAA defensive selction. don't I know you? Two players from South Hampton Roads who are expected to have an impact around the CAA: George Mason F Darryl Monroe, a 6-7 senior from Virginia Beach, returns after missing last season with a foot injury. Monroe started 19 games two seasons ago. William and Mary G Kendrix Brown, a 6-3 freshman, averaged 17.5 ppg and was second-team all-state as a senior at Norview High in Norfolk. Tribe-ulations William and Mary had its winningest season in a decade last season, finishing 17-16 and reaching its first CAA tournament championship game. Three starters, including PG David Schneider (10.9 ppg), return. "The best change is that our guys approach the season with a lot of confidence," coach Tony Shaver said. NKOTB Forget the reunion tour of Jordan, Jonathan, Joey, Danny and Donnie. The CAA's only New Kid on the Block is baby-faced coach Matt Brady, who replaces Dean Keener. Brady coached four seasons at Marist, guiding the Red Foxes to a 73-50 record and their first MAAC regular-season title. Jami Frankenberry, (757) 446-2295, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous This season for the CAA men in college basketball The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488120 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488774 William & Mary routs spartans in a 98-38 victory 2008-11-21T00:12:57-05:00 2008-11-21T00:09:57-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Staff report WILLIAMSBURG William and Mary's Dani Kell scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 98-38 victory over Norfolk State. The Spartans (0-3) trailed 46-14 at halftime after misfiring on 24 of 30 shots from the field. Marquilla Evans was the lone Spartan in double figures with 11 points. Norfolk, VA Anonymous William & Mary routs spartans in a 98-38 victory The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488774 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488727 After 3 years of work, time to don those Play Cloths 2008-11-20T18:16:54-05:00 2008-11-21T00:00:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

As of today, you can officially add "designers" to rap group Clipse's resume. After nearly three years of planning, their streetwear collection, Play Cloths, has finally hit the market and will be formally unveiled tonight at an event at the boutique Commonwealth. "This whole line was birthed off of the enthusiasm of fans," says Pusha T, one-half of the acclaimed rap group based in Virginia Beach. "It was the fashion sense they saw we had when they would see us at shows. The music is a great platform for clothing and vice versa." He says they'll soon distribute a Play Cloths mixtape through Complex Magazine, the buying guide for men centered around urban music, gadgets and clothes. Play Cloths - there's no "e," Pusha says, which represents doing what he wants - was conceived and developed in Virginia Beach. He says he is not a designer in the formal sense. Pusha and the other half of Clipse, his brother Malice (Terrence and Gene Thornton, respectively), began their line with "inspiration" boards and input from their friend local artist Doug Dozier. "We initially thought about our inspirations clothingwise," Pusha says. "We thought about the brands we loved in our youth and collected like Polo, Nautica, Hilfiger and Iceberg. We were in there with the mood boards, and I would cut out and Xerox things from the early '80s up until now." Clipse, regarded as hip-hop trendsetters in part for their early adoption of the Japanese cult line A Bathing Ape, partnered with the RP55 group in Virginia Beach. A leading player in the streetwear industry, the company acted first as a consultant just on good faith. That relationship blossomed into design and then production. "He just knew what he knew," says Duane Smith, head designer at RP55 group, a Virginia Beach clothing company. He spent a year working with Clipse to get Play Cloths to look right. "He had a keen eye, and we just went for it." Pusha says the ability to invent and actually produce his clothing line in Virginia Beach had tremendous benefits. "Virginia has all the elements that all these other big cities have. Being able to go in there and touch the staff and talk with them right up the street from me was a plus beyond plusses." Play Cloths' debut collection consists of T-shirts, denim, varsity jackets, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, belts and skullcaps. The brand is following the new-school standard route of having its line carried only in boutiques and specialty shops - among them Commonwealth in Virginia and the ultra-hip Colette in Paris. (Pusha says he was dismayed that logistical problems prevented it from being carried in his other favorite local sneaker boutique, Cream, in Norfolk's The Galalery at Military Circle mall.) He calls the look clean, grown-up streetwear. Its logo is a Prohibition-era youth wearing knickers on the run. It represents youthfulness, Pusha says. His name is Jack. "It's that whole notion of having to go home and change into your play clothes before you come back out. When we were kids, we had to come home and change out of the good pants, the good shoes, the good socks." Unlike some streetwear brands that ask $500 for a pair of jeans and $100 for a T-shirt, Play Cloths is pricing its T-shirts at around $40, and jeans in the $200 range. "We didn't want to turn anybody off," Pusha says. "It's affordable, it's reachable and it's credible. We want the people to be able to be a part of our gang." Tonight's launch event in Norfolk brings Play Cloths' local love full-circle. "Commonwealth has always been great supporter of Clipse, and it's probably one of the most acclaimed streetwear stores in the world. They're really good at what they do, and we couldn't ask for a better springboard to be embraced by." Malcolm Venable, (757) 446-2662, malcolm.venable@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous After 3 years of work, time to don those Play Cloths The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488727 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488746 Norfolk's Green Alternatives is back in business 2008-11-21T00:46:24-05:00 2008-11-20T21:11:20-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK Amelia Baker is a hard-core recycler. She recycles bottles, bags and jeans, among other things, reusing them or converting them into something new. So when the Green Alternatives store in Ghent closed last month, she decided to recycle that too. She bought the store's signs, logos and leftover inventory and opened a new Green Alternatives store on Boush Street at Olney Road last week. Like its predecessor, the store caters to eco-friendly shoppers with organic clothing, paper products made from recycled materials, earth-friendly cleaners and a variety of other household goods, gifts and artwork. Baker and her husband opened the shop Saturday. "It's something that's a passion of ours," Baker said. "It's something that Norfolk needs, and it's a great addition to the small-business landscape." Despite the economy being in a slump, business has been pretty steady so far, she said. But she won't know until after the holidays whether she'll need to make some adjustments to keep the store going, she added. Baker is expanding her inventory and preparing to launch an online-ordering service on the store's Web site, www.greenalternativesstore.com. She also is working hard to make products affordable. "I think awareness is a big challenge, as well as overcoming any price differential between eco-friendly and traditional products," Baker said. "A lot of the products, I think, are pretty comparable." A bottle of eco-friendly laundry detergent, enough to wash 64 loads, costs about $14.49, while a 1-inch binder made from recycled paper is $4.99. Necklaces crafted by artists in Uganda are priced at $17.99 each, while a blouse made from an old pair of jeans costs $7.99. For shoppers such as 31-year-old Samantha Vincent-Alexander of Norfolk, "going green" is worth the cost. She bought a reusable, stainless-steel water bottle Thursday while shopping with her parents. "It's the best for the environment and for people," she said. "I'm trying to be more conscious of the environment." Kathy Adams, (757) 446-2583, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Norfolk's Green Alternatives is back in business The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488746 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488749 What's in a name? Oregon Inlet, the Outer Banks, N.C. 2008-11-20T21:42:39-05:00 2008-11-20T21:35:05-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Oregon Inlet is the wild child of one of the infamous storms that have torn through the Outer Banks, and it's been trouble ever since. An incorrigible swath of water between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, the inlet was slashed out during a September 1846 hurricane that hit North Carolina's barrier islands. It is somehow fitting that its name derives from the first vessel to navigate through the freshly created passageway. After all, Oregon didn't become a state until 13 years later. Legend has it that the sailing vessel Oregon was caught in the huge storm while it was headed back to Edenton, N.C., from Bermuda. Desperately trying to keep the ship from being swallowed by the sea, the crew was given a reprieve when a tremendous wave lifted the vessel onto a shallow sandbar. Whether the story is a tall tale is not known, but it is undisputable that the storm's souvenirs are Hatteras and Oregon inlets. "A remarkable surge of water, driven by continuous northeast winds, pushed far into the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds, flooding rivers and creeks for miles inland," Merlin S. Berry wrote in "History of Northeastern North Carolina Storms." "Then, as the hurricane passed and its winds rotated to the southwest, this massive expanse of water rushed back toward the sea, overwashing the Outer Banks from west to east." As the sun rose, the legend continues, the weather-beaten Oregon crew members found a huge cut in the island to the east of where they were stranded in Pamlico Sound. Within days, the ocean subsided and the vessel was able to be floated free. In a brief reference to the 1846 storm in "The Outer Banks of North Carolina," author David Stick writes that the side-wheeler Oregon was said to be the first vessel to pass through the hurricane-carved inlet. He identified the owner of the vessel as William H. Willard. The inlet, the only outlet to the ocean between Virginia and Hatteras, is considered a vital passage for commercial and recreational boaters and anglers. Its stubborn migration to the south - as much as 100 feet a year - powerful currents, and shifting shoals have made it an unruly subject. Coastal scientists and mariners regard Oregon Inlet as one of the most dynamic inlets on the East Coast, but it's probably best known for its spectacular untamed beauty and fabulous fishing. But out-of-towners have got to wonder why on earth the inlet has the name of a state on the opposite coast. Affie Meekins at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center said the folks there are prepared. They have the story written down. "We have a lot of questions about that," Meekins said. Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous What's in a name? Oregon Inlet, the Outer Banks, N.C. The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488749 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488747 Cleveland's Nick Soresen: 'It's easy to play on Sunday' 2008-11-20T21:19:31-05:00 2008-11-20T21:13:42-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Unless you're in his family photo, you probably have no idea former Virginia Tech safety Nick Sorensen still is in the NFL. Maybe that he even got to the Sunday league at all, for that matter.

Unless you're in his family photo, you probably have no idea former Virginia Tech safety Nick Sorensen still is in the NFL. Maybe that he even got to the Sunday league at all, for that matter. But eight seasons gone from Blacksburg, Sorensen, 30, continues to throw himself into his weekly special-teams labor with the Cleveland Browns - his fourth organization - as if his paycheck depends on it. For obvious reasons. It does. "I always feel like I've got to do something every day," said Sorensen, also a backup safety. "It's not like I was a first-round pick, where you're gonna get three years to make mistakes. "Guys like us that aren't drafted... you know you have that chip on your shoulder always, which I think is a good thing." Sorensen, from Falls Church, played linebacker and safety at Virginia Tech - emergency quarterback, too - but never was all-conference and went undrafted in 2001. Yet since then he has played in every NFL season and no fewer than seven games in each. Let's just say Sorensen's no stranger to the "transactions" column: Signed and waived by Miami in '01. Signed later in '01 by St. Louis (he went to Super Bowl XXXVI with the Rams.) Waived in '03. Signed later in '03 by Jacksonville. Waived last year. Signed later in '07 by Cleveland. Sorensen, 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, isn't special-teams captain for the Browns as he was in Jacksonville, but he's a stalwart on four units: kickoff, kickoff return, punt and punt return. He recently had a few minutes to discuss his role and his surprising longevity by phone from the Browns' training complex in Berea, Ohio. Interesting career you've had. How would you describe it? "Just a blessing, man, that's the best way to describe it. Didn't really have any goals set, just kind of went with the flow, worked hard, was fortunate to have some good coaches and great teammates, you know? Had some awesome opportunities and made the most of them so far." How many guys play eight years almost exclusively as special-teamers? "A lot of the league is made up of guys like us; you're a backup, you've got to perform on special teams. I could name a bunch, but I'm sure I'd overlook a few too, so I don't want to throw names out. But there's one or two or three on every team like that." You get released but always find new work. What's the secret to special-teams success? "You have to be smart, you have to play hard, you can't have a whole lot of fear out there, but you also have to produce. If you're just running around running into the (kickoff return) wedge, you're not making tackles or you're not blocking the right guy on returns, you're not gonna be around for very long." So which special team is your favorite? "I like kickoff. I like getting down the field fast and doing things high speed and making a play, getting blocked, beating a block. There's just a lot of joy in beating someone that's trying to block you and making a tackle. That's just a rush." Still, smashing into that wedge has gotta hurt... "If they're letting you hit the wedge, you have to hit it so the other guys can play off you.... Guys smaller than me hit the wedge, so it could be anybody in a game. The best thing you can do is just go down there as fast as you can." Playing safety, you got your first career sack this year. Did you do a happy dance? "Nah, just the classic fist-pump. I'm not much of a celebratory guy. I got excited, but no dances or anything like that." Do special-teamers get the respect they deserve? "I think they do from their teammates. You watch on TV, a guy will make a great play - and this bothers me - I'll want them to say something about that guy, but they'll go right to the commercial break. Half the time they won't even say who made the tackle. Special teams are 20 or 25 percent of the game! Those guys are making high-speed plays, big plays, and they never get talked about." Can you go for eight more surprising years? "It's easy to play on Sunday; it's the preparation and the competition every day. You need to compete every day and get better all the time. As long as I enjoy the preparation part of it, my body holds up and teams appreciate what I'm doing and I'm being productive, then I'll do it. But all those things have to happen, you know? You lose one of those and you're not gonna be very good." Tom Robinson, (757) 446-2518 or tom.robinson@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Cleveland's Nick Soresen: 'It's easy to play on Sunday' The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488747 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488710 Blood-curdling brush with fame 2008-11-20T18:32:43-05:00 2008-11-21T00:00:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

"They sound like something, maybe, that is entering the gates of hell," the movies' hottest vampire boy said as he contemplated his newfound fame.

"They sound like something, maybe, that is entering the gates of hell," the movies' hottest vampire boy said as he contemplated his newfound fame. Mind you, Robert Pattinson doesn't mean to criticize the hordes of female fans who have shown up in the hundreds for promotional events for his movie, "Twilight." It's just that, at 22, he still regards himself as a quiet British lad who has been somewhat unemployed except for two "Harry Potter" movies. He's sung and played guitar in a rock group around Hollywood in the last two years - living off his Harry Potter paycheck. Then came Edward Cullen, the vampire described in Stephenie Meyer's book as "Devastating. Inhumanly beautiful" with "lips as cold as marble" that were meant only for Bella, the new girl in high school. It's a tough assignment, but somebody's gotta do it. When first named for the role, the book series' readers, numbering some 17 million, protested that Pattinson was ugly, skinny and unsuitable. "My mum told me she saw those things on the Internet. I didn't," he explained. The fans were more in favor of Tom Welling - Clark Kent from TV's "Smallville" - but director Catherine Hardwicke reasoned that "we wanted someone beautiful but someone you'd also be afraid of. No one would be afraid of Tom." In person, Pattinson is not someone you'd actually look at twice, unless, maybe, you were a teen age girl. He has that unruly shock of hair he brushes his hands through every few moments, adding that the studio has demanded he not cut it. It's Edward's trademark. He's wearing a baggy sweater and plaid, tweedy trousers that look as if they came from England. He looks tired, as you'd expect from a guy who has been attacked by hundreds of girls wearing T-shirts that read "Bite Me" or "Edward, Make Me Immortal." He attended private school in London and remained unknown until he got the role of the ill-fated teen wizard Cedric Diggory in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Co-star Kristen Stewart, who had already been cast, insisted he get the role of Edward. He reportedly took the part a bit too seriously - isolating himself during filming to find out what it would be like to be an outsider. Director Hardwicke said she had to remind him that it was a romance, not an Ingmar Bergman psychological tragedy. Several co-stars say they heard him seriously propose marriage to Stewart several times during film breaks. Both he and she say they don't remember that. As for Edward's attraction to Bella in the plot, he points out that "it's maybe the smell of her blood. She has a weird blood type, but he has stopped killing people 50 or 60 years before. He feeds only on animals, and he must control his thirst for her - to protect her." But, in addition to all the species differences, there is an age difference. She is 17. He is 108. He explains: "If you were in the body of a 17-year-old, I don't think you'd go for a 108-year-old woman." He's got a point. In a shopping mall in Pennsylvania, an appearance to sign "Twilight" posters had to be cut short when the crowd got out of control and one girl suffered a broken arm in the rush. Similar crowds have gathered at other malls. Recalling the mall scene, he reacted nervously to the uproar. "Oh my God," he said, shaking his head. "I thought they were going to blow the place up. They were ferocious, pushing each other, and there I was in front - supposed not to run. I didn't run. I think that's quite a brave thing. I'm proud of myself. But next time, I may run." Off-screen he's made the move from London to Hollywood, where he lives in a temporary apartment supplied by the studio. He has a beat-up 1989 car and says he isn't excited by making more money. His favorite actor is Jack Nicholson, and his favorite musician is Van Morrison. (He says he has every album.) One of his own songs, a wailing ballad, is on the soundtrack of "Twilight," and he hopes an album of his own will soon follow. For a break from the "Twilight" franchise, he's playing artist Salvador Dali in an independent movie to be released next year. As for his new fame, he has one main reaction: "I feel judged." Mal Vincent, (757) 446-2347, mal.vincent@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Blood-curdling brush with fame The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488710 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488740 Strange powers, tough choices of 'BioShock' finally reach PS3 2008-11-20T19:36:49-05:00 2008-11-21T00:01:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

By Roy Matos Teen correspondent "BioShock" was the recipient of more than 50 "game of the year" awards after it was released for the PC and Xbox 360 in 2007. Finally, PlayStation 3 owners have a chance to try out this award-winning game. With the move from Xbox 360 to PS3, there are add-on features that are only available for PS3 owners. One of these includes a new difficulty known as "Survival." "BioShock's" main story line remains the same and is based around the underwater utopia, Rapture, built in 1959 by a man named Andrew Ryan. The game begins as a plane crashes into the ocean and only one person survives - you. After escaping the deep water, you enter what appears to be a harmless building, and then descend into what is left of Rapture. You then travel the city collecting powers and weapons to fend off crazed inhabitants and gene tonics that amplify their strengths and powers. "BioShock" is about more than power and who carries the biggest gun. It makes players use their wits to defend themselves against a variety of creatures and people to escape the ravaged city. Players are given the choice to be good or evil, which later dictates how their story ends. To boost or lower the good-against-evil scale, the player finds essential characters known as "Little Sisters." When a player finds them, he has a choice: Rescue them and send them on their way or harvest them for a power known as "Adam." Throughout the game, players use a variety of weapons, gene tonics and powers, including the ability to shoot fire from their fingertips and send hornets out of their hands. There also is a hacking "mini-game" available. When hacking, the player must put pipes together to get from point A to point B in a designated space. As the game progresses, so does the difficulty of hacking, with an increase in traps and security alarms. Players can hack turrets, cameras and vending machines to assist in their progress. For those who want extended gameplay, there's the Downloadable Content (DLC) option which varies from system to system. For the Xbox 360, there is a download pack which holds new power and tonics that should help the player beat the game on harder difficulty levels. PS3 owners are given three unique challenge rooms at a price of $9.99 on the PSN Network. Each room has a test that causes the player to use their wit or pure firepower, depending on the challenge, which include fighting through eight rooms of enemies using only firepower and creating electricity to save a Little Sister atop a Ferris wheel. My score: 9 out of 10. Roy Matos, a senior at Salem High School in Virginia Beach, threet14@yahoo.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Strange powers, tough choices of 'BioShock' finally reach PS3 The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488740 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488736 Lanier: Sight of former friend brings back memories she'd rather forget 2008-11-20T19:32:18-05:00 2008-11-21T00:01:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Elizabeth Lanier I saw her the other day. It was strange, seeing her after so many years. She looked different, so changed, I was sure I was wrong. But something in her eyes or her mannerisms assured me I wasn't mistaken. The young child in me told me to run up to her and challenge her to a round of "Mortal Kombat" as if nothing had changed. That same part of me was tempted to make a stupid inside joke that only the two of us would understand. I wanted to allude to a geeky movie or strange book and have someone know what I was talking about. I wanted to feel as though someone understood me the way only a best friend can. But the 18-year-old me scoffed. My old friend likely grew out of video games ages ago. She probably no longer cared for quirky films or books. She'd probably be ashamed of me, would see me as a skeleton to be pushed back into her closet. I look plain in my hoodie and jeans next to her and her friends in raver pants and dark makeup. What if I embarrass her in front of her new friends by simply saying hello? I know it's her. But I tug my friend who came with me behind the nearest bookshelf and ask anyway. "Is that...?" "You noticed, too?" he asks with a smirk. "Are you going to say, 'Hi'?" I can't answer as she and her rather eccentric companions are coming toward us. I quickly pick up a book off a shelf and immerse myself in it. The Kama Sutra, eh? Whatever. Anything can become absorbing when you're avoiding someone. And it seemed more plausible than suddenly becoming fascinated with my sneakers. As she passes I see peripherally a slight flicker of her thickly black-lined eyes that indicates she saw me. After she passes I hear my friend's snicker that he can no longer contain. "Er... I thought we were coming for test-prep books? What is it you're studying for, exactly?" "Quiet!" I hiss at him as I try to stop the blush I feel rising in my cheeks and shove the book away. Really I'm more annoyed with myself than him. I couldn't believe out of all the options I'd had I'd chosen the most puerile; I had chosen to hide from her. Annoyed too, that someone I had been friends with for so long now didn't warrant me even a double-take. I saw someone who knows every boy I've crushed on, every embarrassing moment, every foolish mistake I'd ever made as a kid. And I realized I no longer know who she is. She barely batted an eye. But for me, her appearance dredged up too many memories I was anxious to leave behind. I feel dispirited as we leave the bookstore. I put on some mindless metal in the car to distract my friend before he can say anything snarky. I thought there was going to be an epiphany upon reaching adulthood that would make all the lost friendships and burned bridges worth it. I had deluded myself into believing I would come to a perpetual state of sagacity by this point, leaving the reckless and often humiliating days of my youth behind. It was the only way to handle the confusion of adolescence, to believe that there would be calm after the storm. But there is no sudden enlightenment. To always know the answers, to always be certain who's with you for the long haul, would make life easy. But where's the challenge in that? It's that thought, or perhaps my friend next to me singing (the wrong lyrics, unfortunately) over the radio that brings a smile to my face. I realize that I still have so much to learn and so many more mistakes to make - all in the camaraderie of new, albeit tone-deaf, friends. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Elizabeth Lanier, a homeschooled senior in Virginia Beach, eliz.lanier@gmail.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Lanier: Sight of former friend brings back memories she'd rather forget The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488736 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488738 Teen Speak: What are the most interesting fashion trends you've seen in your school lately? 2008-11-20T19:35:14-05:00 2008-11-21T00:01:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

We asked students at Bayside High School in Virginia Beach: What are the most interesting fashion trends you've seen in your school lately? - Compiled by Lauren Roth "Bright neon colors. A lot of people mix and match - yellow, purple, orange, green, hot pink. Both guys and girls." -Jordan Bussey,16, junior "People wear skirts or shorts with leggings with a shirt that matches. It's not for me, but people can pull it off." -Stephanie Condor, 15, sophomore "Definitely boots. I have on high snow boots. And matching accessories, like I have on." -Destiny Doby, 16, junior Norfolk, VA Anonymous Teen Speak: What are the most interesting fashion trends you've seen in your school lately? The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488738 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488737 'By and About' is for teens, by teens 2008-11-20T19:29:50-05:00 2008-11-21T00:01:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Watch "By & About 757," a show for teens, by teens from Cox Communications and The Virginian-Pilot's 757: Teens Cover the Code section. Check out the latest episode in which gold-medal Olympian LeShawn Merritt and several Hampton Roads teenagers who met the Dalai Lama are interviewed. The show airs on Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 7 p.m. on Cox Cable Channel 11. "By & About" also is available at Cox On Demand. Norfolk, VA Anonymous 'By and About' is for teens, by teens The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488737 Change 0 Usable