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Articles by Aaron McFarling
McFarling: Hokies reach new level of dominance
ATLANTA — And there it was, right in front of us Saturday: the boom at the end of the slow-burning fuse. Brilliance. That’s the word for it, right? Not “improvement.” Not “a step forward.” Not “something to build on.” Virginia Tech showed us brilliance. Naysayers — and everybody who has watched this team throughout 2019 has been among them at some point — could take this day off. There was nothing to criticize, nothing to nitpick, nothing for Virginia Tech to regret about what transpired here.
Barber's hat trick dooms Dawgs
Jacob Barber scored a natural hat trick in the third period to erase a one-goal deficit, and Huntsville rallied to defeat Roanoke 5-2 on Saturday night in front of an announced crowd of 5,812 at the Berglund Center. Josh Nenadal gave the Rail Yard Dawgs (15-7-2) a 2-1 lead with a power play goal at the 1:59 mark of the third period. Barber equalized at the 8:47 mark, then netted twice less than two minutes apart late in the stanza.
All I've got is Blacksburg-long dash
Blank screen. Flashing curser. Oh, deadline, you rotten scoundrel. How close are you? Seventeen minutes. Seventeen minutes? Seventeen minutes! Good news. The screen is not totally blank. It says "BLACKSBURG" and has a long dash after it. That's a start! Isn't that the joke Randy King always tells when deadline blasts its hot, stinky breath on us? "All I've got is Blacksburg-long dash!" Ha. So true. That guy's hilarious. Sixteen minutes now. Quit wasting time. Go, man, go. Look around, Aaron. What do you see?
Dawgs fall to Quad City
Quad City goaltender Kevin Resop made 20 saves, and Brendan Soucie scored the decisive goal in the second period as the Storm defeated Roanoke 3-1 on Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 3,832 at the Berglund Center. Michael Moran and Taylor Pryce also scored for Quad City (11-10-1). Chris Vella scored in the second period for Roanoke (15-6-2) on assists from Josh Nenadal and Hunter Bersani. Roanoke completes a busy holiday week with a game against Huntsville on Saturday night.
Dawgs steamroll Quad City, 4-0
Austyn Roudebush made 30 saves, and Roanoke netted three times in the third period while coasting to a 4-0 victory over Quad City on Thursday in front of an announced crowd of 3,311 at the Berglund Center. The Rail Yard Dawgs (15-5-2) won for the 10 th time in 11 games, unseating Peoria for the top spot in the SPHL standings. Nick DeVito opened the scoring midway through the first period on assists from Brady Heppner and Nick Ford.
For Hokies, recruiting for 2023 isn't over
Of all the upheaval the transfer portal has brought to college football, Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry offers one potential scenario that might strike you as particularly absurd. Envision this: A high school player who just signed on Dec. 21 elects to enroll early. He takes classes starting in January. He goes through spring practice. Somewhere in that four-month span, he decides that the school he signed with isn't for him. On April 15, when the transfer window reopens, off to the portal he goes.
Dawgs' winning streak ends at 9
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Brian Bowen supplied two goals and one assist as Fayetteville defeated Roanoke 5-3 on Tuesday night at Crown Coliseum, ending the Rail Yard Dawgs' franchise-record winning streak at nine games. Nick Mangone added a goal and an assist for the Marksmen (10-10-2). Billy Vizzo scored for Roanoke (14-5-2) to tie the game at 3-3 with 6:52 remaining in the second period, but Bowen responded with a goal less than two minutes later to take the lead for good.
Hokies' QB room will have new look this spring
The day Kyron Drones hit the transfer portal, Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen got on a plane to Texas. The former Baylor quarterback had been on Tech's radar all season as a Power Five backup with the requisite skills to start. If Drones decided to explore his options, the Hokies wanted to be ready. He did, and they were. "That went a long way for Kyron that Coach Bowen was there the first day he was in the portal, said Mike Villagrana, Tech's senior director of player personnel.
Dawgs set team mark with 9th straight win
Billy Vizzo scored twice and Austyn Roudebush made 24 saves as the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs set a franchise record with their ninth straight victory Friday night, defeating Fayetteville 2-1 in front of an announced crowd of 3,735 at the Berglund Center. Brendan Pepe assisted on both goals for Roanoke (14-4-2), which moved into a tie with Peoria atop the SPHL standings.
Dawgs tie franchise record with 8th straight win
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs matched a franchise record with their eighth straight victory on Wednesday night, getting a late goal from CJ Valerian to defeat Knoxville 6-5 in front of an announced crowd of 4,385 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Roanoke's Dillon Radin tied the game at 5-5 with a power-play goal at the 5:25 minute mark of the third period. With 4:54 remaining, Valerian scored an unassisted goal to win it.
With individualized fanfare, Hokies 'draft' 29 new recruits
BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech's newest running back nodded his head in rhythm on the video conference call as "Enter Sandman" played three hours away at an on-campus party. Flanked by his parents, Jeremiah Coney listened as former Tech star Kevin Jones announced his name as if Coney were being drafted into pro ball. Tech coach Brent Pry came on the call and welcomed Coney to his team. "I can't wait to coach you," Pry said. "I can't wait either," Coney said.
Virginia Tech's signees at a glance
Virginia Tech announced the signing of 29 recruits on Wednesday. Here is a capsule look at the class, in alphabetical order: Douglas S.
Radin shines as Dawgs breeze to 7th straight win
MACON, Ga. - Dillon Radin scored twice as Roanoke took command in the second period and defeated Macon 5-2 on Saturday night at the Macon Centreplex. The Rail Yard Dawgs (12-4-2) won their seventh straight game behind goals from CJ Valerian, CJ Stubbs and Billy Vizzo and 24 saves from goaltender Austyn Roudebush. David Nippard scored both goals for Macon (2-13-2).
Heppner scores late as Dawgs win 6th straight
MACON, Ga. - Brady Heppner scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs earned their sixth straight victory on Friday night, defeating Macon 5-4 in front of an announced crowd of 1,135 at Macon Centreplex. Josh Nenadal netted twice for Roanoke (11-4-2), which has not lost a game in December. The Dawgs moved into a three-way tie for second place in the SPHL standings with Knoxville and Evansville.
As Irish come calling, Virginia Tech women have plenty of poultry
BLACKSBURG - Kenny Brooks takes none of it for granted. The talent. The depth. The star power. The cohesiveness. The selflessness. Every coach yearns to have a team like this women's basketball squad Brooks has assembled at Virginia Tech. And given his journey in the profession - 14 years building a mid-major titan at James Madison, seven more constructing an ACC power in Blacksburg - he understands how rare a commodity he has in the 2022-23 Hokies.
Surging Dawgs drawing a crowd
Last Saturday night provided plenty of opportunities to feel local pride at the Berglund Center. Maybe it surged after one of the five goals scored by Roanoke. Or when the stuffed teddy bears started cascading from the stands. Or when the home team killed off a penalty. At all of those moments, a season-high crowd of 5,438 reached full roar. And Rail Yard Dawgs captain Mac Jansen made a point to savor it. "It's truly amazing," Jansen said. "There were even guys on Birmingham saying, 'Wow, this so cool.
Former 4-star QB transferring to Hokies
Virginia Tech added two key pieces to its struggling offense on Monday, as Baylor quarterback Kyron Drones and Old Dominion wide receiver Ali Jennings III announced on social media their intentions to transfer to Blacksburg. The 6-foot-2, 223-pound Drones redshirted his first year in 2021. This past season, he played in five games as a backup to Blake Shapen, completing 14 of 23 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Hokies breeze with a little bit of Soule
BLACKSBURG - In college basketball, the "hype" player often is the last one on the bench, that one waving towels and choreographing all the handshakes during pregame introductions. Taylor Soule is that player for the Virginia Tech women's basketball team. One difference, though: She doesn't belong on the bench. The latest of Tech's galaxy of stars to sparkle, Soule scored a season-high 21 points to lead the seventh-ranked Hokies to an 86-48 rout of UNC Asheville on Sunday at Cassell Coliseum.
Dawgs extend winning streak to 5
Sean Leonard scored a tie-breaking goal early in the third period, and the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs defeated Birmingham 5-3 on Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 5,438 at the Berglund Center. Nick DeVito and Mac Jansen each scored twice for Roanoke (10-4-2), which won its five straight game to leapfrog Birmingham (10-5-1) into third place in the SPHL standings. Austyn Roudebush made 30 saves for the Dawgs.
Basile proving to be 'perfect fit' for Hokies
BLACKSBURG - More than 50 schools reached to Grant Basile when he entered the transfer portal last spring. On Wednesday night, you saw why they did - and why Virginia Tech felt so fortunate to win that sweepstakes. A simple hook shot got Basile going. A bunch of 3-pointers followed. Blocked shots and rebounds complemented the offensive onslaught, and by the end of the first half, Basile had made this game entirely his own.
WR Kaleb Smith tops list of portal-bound Hokies
Kaleb Smith, Virginia Tech's top wide receiver in 2022, announced on social media Monday that he is entering the transfer portal, part of a busy day of Hokies revealing their intentions to leave the program. Veteran cornerback Armani Chatman also announced he was portal-bound after starting all 11 games this season, while backup quarterback Jason Brown added his name to the list of departures. Smith evolved from walk-on to captain over five years in Blacksburg, taking a redshirt year in 2018.
Virginia Tech women knock off Lady Vols
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Kayana Traylor scored 18 points as No. 9 Virginia Tech defeated Tennessee 59-56 on Sunday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena, earning a resume-building victory on hallowed women's basketball ground. Making her first start of the season in place of injured guard Ashley Owusu, Traylor returned to action after missing Thursday's win over Nebraska with a non-COVID-19 illness. She keyed a 10-0 Tech run in the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers.
Dawgs top Marksmen in OT
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Mac Jansen scored on the power play in overtime, and the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs defeated Fayetteville 3-2 on Saturday night in front of an announced crowd of 2,674 at Crown Coliseum. Josh Nenadal and Travis Broughman also scored for Roanoke (9-4-2), which won its fourth straight game. Austyn Roudebush made 33 saves for the Dawgs. Austin Alger and Zach Remers scored for Fayetteville (6-8-2). The Dawgs return to action next Saturday at home against Birmingham.
Dawgs win 3rd straight
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Sean Leonard provided a goal and two assists to lead the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs to a 6-2 victory over Fayetteville on Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 2,367 at Crown Coliseum. Billy Vizzo netted twice for Roanoke (8-4-2), while Nick Ford registered three assists. Nick DeVito chipped in a goal and an assist. Goaltender Austyn Roudebush made 27 saves for the Dawgs.
Roudebush fights, makes franchise history in Dawgs win
Austyn Roudebush set a franchise record with his 22 nd career victory in goal, and the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs defeated the Knoxville Ice Bears 3-2 on Thursday night in front of an announced crowd of 2,920 at the Berglund Center. Dillon Radin, Travis Broughman and Mac Jansen scored for the Dawgs (7-4-2), who held on during a frantic third period. Roudebush stopped 18 of 19 shots before receiving a game misconduct with 13:05 remaining.
Virginia native Broughman stokes Dawgs attack
Travis Broughman isn't just the only Virginian on the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. He's also the only player on the roster from south of the Mason-Dixon line. Born in Richmond and raised in Mechanicsville, Broughman has some advantages playing pro hockey in his home state. Family and friends are just a three-hour drive away and can come watch him compete whenever they want. He takes pride in representing his city and the commonwealth at large. "Oh, yeah. It's a lot of fun," Broughman said.
Virginia native Broughman stokes Dawgs attack
Travis Broughman isn't just the only Virginian on the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. He's also the only player on the roster from south of the Mason-Dixon line. Born in Richmond and raised in Mechanicsville, Broughman has some advantages playing pro hockey in his home state. Family and friends are just a three-hour drive away and can come watch him compete whenever they want. He takes pride in representing his city and the commonwealth at large. "Oh, yeah. It's a lot of fun," Broughman said.
No staff changes imminent
BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry wants a lot of aspects about his program to be different in Year Two. His staff is not one of them. "I hope there's no changes," Pry said Monday, when asked about his assistant coaches. "No tweaks right now other than our process and some things that we've evaluated as the year went.
2022 Virginia Tech football superlatives
Virginia Tech's football season was one game shorter than expected - two, if you came into the year thinking the team would make a bowl - but 11 games provide more than enough of a sample size to assess the performance. In short: not great. The Hokies finished 3-8, well south of their preseason Vegas over-under for wins (6.5). Brent Pry has been the first to admit that his debut at the helm was not good enough. As a way to look back, let's hand out some superlatives.
Dawgs deck Marksmen
By Aaron McFarling Nick Ford scored twice during Roanoke's dominant second period, and the Rail Yard Dawgs defeated Fayetteville 5-1 on Friday in front of an announced crowd of 4,748 at the Berglund Center. Stephen Alvo, Jake Goldowski and Dillon Radin also scored for the Dawgs (6-4-2), who outshot the Marksmen (6-6-1) 41-20. Austyn Roudebush made 19 saves for Roanoke. The Dawgs face Knoxville at home on Thursday.
Blue Demons rock Botetourt for Region 3D title
DALEVILLE - After the celebration, the ice water bath and the trophy presentation, Christiansburg coach Alex Wilkens spoke for everybody on his sideline. "This," he said, "was 372 days in the working." Even longer than that, really. Quarterback Tanner Evans ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as the Blue Demons avenged last year's playoff loss to Lord Botetourt in emphatic fashion Friday, dominating on the road in a 34-7 victory in the Region 3D championship game.
As season cut short, Hokies assert that 'it's bigger than ball'
Last week, in the wake of the shooting deaths of three Virginia football players, Virginia Tech coaches and players knew their season might be abbreviated. Competing in their scheduled rivalry game was low on their priority list. "If we play, we play," linebacker Alan Tisdale said. "If we don't, we'll want to go down to Charlottesville, some of the players, and just show our respect.
Dawgs blanked by Ice Flyers
By Aaron McFarling PENSACOLA, Fla. - Christian Pavlas stopped all 31 shots he faced, and Pensacola defeated Roanoke 2-0 on Saturday night in front of an announced crowd of 5,187 at the Pensacola Bay Center. Girff Jeszka scored early in the second period to give Pensacola (5-5) the lead. Ivan Bondarenko added an empty-net goal late in the third. The Dawgs (5-4-1) went winless on their two-game road trip. They return home Wednesday for a game against Knoxville.
Marve takes over defensive play-calling
LYNCHBURG - Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry relinquished defensive play-calling duties for the first time on Saturday, and his protégé responded well to the opportunity. Defensive coordinator Chris Marve called all the defensive downs in Tech's 23-22 victory over Liberty. The Hokies' defense allowed just 13 points, as nine others came on a long kickoff return and a safety. "Chris did a phenomenal job," Pry said. "We just decided early in the week. I really didn't give him a choice.
Hokies edge Liberty, snap 7-game losing streak
LYNCHBURG - As he walked into the postgame interview room at Williams Stadium on Saturday, Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry needed just two words to sum up the collective thoughts of his players and beleaguered fan base. "Finally, right?" he said. Finally. After two straight months of losing football - some of it competitive, some not - the Hokies tasted victory at last, holding on for a 23-22 victory over heavily favored Liberty.
Havoc nips visiting Dawgs, 2-1
By Aaron McFarling HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Tyler Piacentini scored the tie-breaking goal eight seconds into the third period, and Huntsville defeated Roanoke 2-1 on Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 5,418 at Propst Arena. CJ Stubbs scored in the first period for the Rail Yard Dawgs (5-3-1) on assists from Travis Broughman and Sean Leonard. Kyle Clarke equalized for the Havoc (5-3) late in the period. The Dawgs were slated to play at Pensacola on Saturday night.
Hokies, not Flames, become team that needs traction
BLACKSBURG - Liberty's had a solid program for a while now. The Flames have made a bowl in each of their first three seasons as an FBS program, and they'll make it four straight this year. But for people outside the region to notice, sometimes it takes a little more. And for Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry, that tipping point came on November 7, 2020. That was the day Liberty beat the Hokies in Blacksburg on a last-second field goal.
Hokies' Delane living up to his name
BLACKSBURG - Mansoor Delaney likes his first name. It has a cool meaning in Arabic: "He who is victorious." Sure, people mispronounce it all the time (it's MON-soor, not MAN), but he forgives them because he knows it's uncommon. "When you type it in to look it up, not too many Mansoors are popping up," Delane said. "So I feel like it's kind of special." So is he.
Hokies brace for Liberty's formidable front
BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech is determined to protect its offensive backfield on Saturday, but that might not be easy. Liberty leads the nation with 91 tackles for loss this season - 12 more than ACC leader Clemson. Senior defensive end Durrell Johnson has 14 solo and nine assisted tackles for loss. "Very productive, particularly up front," Tech coach Brent Pry said. "They're disruptive. I think you've got to minimize the minus-yardage plays.
Hokies offer sympathies, grieve UVa's loss
BLACKSBURG - Da'Wain Lofton's mother called him Monday afternoon. Just to check in. Just to hear his voice. The Virginia Tech wide receiver had seen the tragic news on Twitter: Virginia football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry had been shot and killed in Charlottesville late Sunday night. A Texas native, Lofton didn't know any of the victims. He didn't need to. "It's been a very tragic situation, especially being so close to here," Lofton said.
Pass rush a no-show for Hokies
DURHAM, N.C. - Virginia Tech's pass rush was a massive disappointment on Saturday. In a 24-7 loss to Duke, the Hokies registered no sacks for only the second time this season. They also recorded just two quarterback hurries, both by linebacker Keli Lawson. "I think that's been a weakness for us all season," Tech coach Brent Pry said. "We have not had the ability to just rush four and get home.
Duke hands Hokies 7th straight loss
DURHAM, N.C. - After three straight one-possession losses, Virginia Tech bucked that trend in an undesirable way on Saturday. Duke scored 24 straight points after an early Tech touchdown and defeated the Hokies 24-7 in front of a sparse audience at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Hokies (2-8, 1-6 ACC) have lost seven straight games for the first time since 1951, when they finished 2-8 in their first year under coach Frank Moseley.
Dawgs win 3rd straight
Billy Vizzo scored two goals to lead the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs to a 5-2 victory over Macon on Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 4,361 at the Berglund Center. Travis Broughman and CJ Stubbs each supplied a goal and an assist for the Dawgs (5-2-1), who built a 3-0 lead en route to their third straight win. Mac Janson netted the opener for Roanoke just 32 seconds into the first period. The teams combined for 84 penalty minutes, with Macon (1-6) amassing 50.
Hokies try to hone their finishing move
BLACKSBURG - Dax Hollifield sees the chances dwindling. Virginia Tech's veteran linebacker takes his last trip back to his home state of North Carolina this week. That familiar ride past Pilot Mountain - a place he's always loved, a place his grandparents lived -- will hit him a little differently as the Hokies travel to and from Duke. The record is unsightly: 2-7 overall, 1-5 in the ACC. There will be no bowl game for Hollifield to savor in his final college season.
After breakout day, gratitude flows from Hokies' Holloway
BLACKSBURG - The tweet didn't take long to craft, maybe just a minute or two, but it said a lot about who Tucker Holloway is and who he strives to be. Holloway sent it out Monday, the same day he was named the ACC Specialist of the Week. Two days earlier, the freshman had set a Virginia Tech record with 188 yards on punt returns, including a 90-yard touchdown. The tweet read: These are my brothers who blocked for me this past weekend on Punt Return. WE set a record.
Hokies take glance toward 2023
BLACKSBURG - The bowl carrot is gone now for Virginia Tech, vanishing beyond even the Hail Mary of a season-ending winning streak. More than ever, the Hokies are building for 2023. Over the final three games beginning with Saturday's visit to Duke, Tech coach Brent Pry hopes to strike a balance between giving veteran players the time they earn on the practice field and working in youngsters with an eye toward the future.
Dawgs fall in Sunday shootout
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Fayetteville goaltender Jason Pawloski stonewalled all four Roanoke attempts in the shootout, and the Marksmen defeated the Rail Yard Dawgs 3-2 in a Sunday matinee shortened to two period because of poor ice conditions at Crown Coliseum. Nick Mangrone and Carlos Fornaris scored second-period goals for Fayetteville (3-3) to erase a 2-0 Dawgs lead. Brady Heppner and Mac Jansen netted for Roanoke (4-2-1).
Roanoke 3, Knoxville 1 (Saturday's game)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Travis Broughman assisted on Brady Heppner's go-ahead goal and later scored on himself, leading the Dawgs to victory over the Ice Bears on Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 3,312 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Dillon Radin erased an early deficit with his first goal of the season with 5:58 remaining in the first period. Roanoke goaltender Brady Claeys stopped 18 of 19 shots, including all 12 he faced in the final two periods.
Happy returns from freshman Holloway
BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech appears to have found an answer to its season-long woes in the return game. In Saturday's 28-27 loss to Georgia Tech, freshman Tucker Holloway broke Antonio Freeman's school record with 188 punt return yards, including a 90-yard touchdown just before halftime. "Tucker is probably, in my career here, the most talented and special freshman that I've seen," Virginia Tech wide receiver Kaleb Smith. "It's something that we've seen since he rolled in here in January.
Hokies collapse late, lose 28-27 to Georgia Tech
BLACKSBURG - Even a rare display of complementary football couldn't stop Virginia Tech's slide. The Hokies surrendered an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter and fell to Georgia Tech 28-27 on Saturday at Lane Stadium, extending their losing streak to six games. Virginia Tech had one last opportunity to drive for a winning score, but quarterback Grant Wells fumbled the ball away for the Hokies' fourth turnover of the game.
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