10-and-4, ACC champions a second-straight year and to top it off, an Orange Bowl victory. Pretty smooth ride for the Hokies, right? Hardly.

This season seemed to have bumps and obstacles around every corner. Key injuries in the preseason, regular season, even the postseason, a quarterback controversy, struggling offense for much of the year. But in the end, Coach Frank Beamer said this year's bunch was probably the best TEAM he's ever had. Beamer's not talking record-wise, he's referring to how this team kept plugging along, fighting through injuries and doubters and refusing to lose sight of its ultimate goals, another ACC title and a bowl victory.

That didn't look too likely after three losses in four weeks at Boston College, Florida State and Miami.  The offense was sputtering, some fans upset with the play-calling, the season could have gone down the tube. But the players and coaches kept working, finished the year with tough wins against Duke and Virginia, and with a little help earned its way back to the ACC Championship Game.

A second-straight win over Boston College made it back-to-back conference championships, but then came another major challenge. The Hokies had to break that bowl game funk that had seen them lose four of their last five. Tech made some big changes in its bowl preparations, including more practices, tougher workouts, tighter curfews at the bowl site.

And when all was said and done, a season that could have been mediocre by Virginia Tech standards turned out to be one to remember. The Hokies have the ACC and Orange Bowl Championship trophies to prove it.

Dennis Carter

Thursday nights usually aren't that exciting, other than being a few hours before Friday, which is a good day in about everybody's book. But this Thursday was different. Didn't you smell it in the air? The last few days have been a little on the cool side, a perfect entrance for a great sport, college football!

Another college season kicked off Thursday night, with a bevy of games coming to a tv near you Saturday. I know it's one of my favorite times of the year. What better way is there to spend time on a Saturday afternoon than with tens of thousands of your pigskin brethren cheering on your favorite team? For a lot of sports fans, it doesn't get much better than this! Enjoy!

One guy who's NOT enjoying the scenery of late is new Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn. I know it's only the preseason, but to be outscored 71-6 in your final two games before the regular season, I'd be concerned, VERY CONCERNED, if I'm Jim Zorn and the Redskins.

And if college or pro football doesn't rock your boat, there's always some exciting high school action just minutes away. Everybody's cranking up, and if you're a football junkie, you're smiling a lot these days.

Dennis Carter

Hey everybody! The VHSL Spring Jubilee at Radford wrapped up this past weekend, and high fives go out to the Gretna softball team and Radford boys’ soccer team on winning state championships.

For Gretna, it's the Hawks' first state softball title EVER! Gretna's six seniors had said at the beginning of the year it was their goal to graduate on the playing field. And by golly, they did, tossing their caps in the air just before 10 Saturday morning, then celebrating a state championship less than two hours later! And this was a team that finished LAST in the district just last season. Way to go ladies!

It's a busy sports weekend in Lynchburg, with the Central Virginia Invitational Tennis Tournament and Central Virginia Golf Tournament happening the same weekend. Also the Hillcats wrap up a disappointing first half with four at home against Kinston.

Friday, I'll get to break out the clubs and play on a WSET team in Liberty University's annual tournament. Thank goodness for captain's choice! I'll apologize in advance to my teammates, you're not getting much help from me. You guys better bring your "A" game, because I haven't played much and it could be REAL ugly. Hopefully, I can see the ball that early in the morning (8 o'clock tee time). Working the night schedule, catching up on lots of things after the show, then winding down after I get home, I'm usually up 'til around 4 in the morning. So that's a very quick turnaround, I'm not a morning person, at all!

After working part of the weekend, I had a chance to take Tuesday off. Well, sort of. I helped out with the annual American Cancer Society Golf Tournament at Boonsboro and later in the day interviewed former NFL player Buddy Curry in Danville. Buddy is living in Atlanta these days but is coming back to his hometown in late July to head up a youth football camp. I enjoyed catching up with Buddy, a fellow G.W. graduate, but the best part of the trip, without a doubt, was seeing Mom, Dad and my sister and enjoying Mom's home cooking.

Thanks Mom! When can I come again?

Dennis Carter