The Cavalier daily :: Tuesday, October 17,1972 :: University of Virginia Library

THERE HAVE BEEN 765 GAMES in Virginia football
history but only 14 times have people had a better day
statistically than first-year man Scott Gardner had against VMI
Saturday.

That includes some pretty fine football players, in my
memory names like Bill Dudley, Gary Cuozzo, Bob Davis,
Gene Arnette, Frank Quayle. Gardner, as has been pointed out
before, completed 10 of 19 passes against the Keydets for 186
yards and ran for another 61.

IT WOULD BE FOLLY to herald Gardner as the answer to
all of Virginia's problems after a good game against the
weakest team the Cavs will face this year, but everybody likes
to see a new face in the lineup and just like all freshman all
over the country who have starred this year, Gardner arouses
the excitement in fans who hope to see him for three more
years.

Even if Gardner is the answer to our problems, what do we
do with our other two quarterbacks? Harrison Davis is the
injured quarterback who has been the most-of- the time starter
for two years. He has always had the potential and, despite
mediocre statistics, has showed that he can get the job done.
And also, what about George Allen? He started the VMI game
with seven completed out of his first nine passes for 80 yards.
That's not bad considering he only played a third of the game.
He's also fourth in the ACC in passing.

THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN with
"H". He can sit out this week and let his injured thumb heal in
time to be ready for the Maryland game Homecomings
Weekend, or he can be worked at flanker, where he saw spot
duty Saturday. This is the big decision for the coaches to
make. There are five quarterbacks who have seen varsity duty
this year. Is Davis, who has yet to show all of his endless
potential, so much better than any of the others that he can't
be moved to flanker where most people agree he would be a
definite asset? Gardner is no solution to our problems yet, but
he, Allen, and first-year men Joe Schaeffer and Jim Pruner
comprise a group that should definitely produce one QB good
enough to hasten Davis' move to the receiver position.

Enough about football – a 45-14 win over VMI is not
anything to get too excited about. Even The Citadel
slaughtered the Keydets 42-3, and the boys from Lexington
have now lost 15 in a row.

TWO OTHER UNIVERSITY TEAMS did well this
weekend, the soccer team and Phil Meyer. Phil Meyer? Meyer
won his third dual meet race of the year against Duke this
weekend despite the fact that the cross country team lost to
the Blue Devils, 20-43. Coach Lou Onesty, who has deplored
the fact that all of his runners run in a pack together except
for Meyer, saw none of his other runners break the 27 minute
mark, a goal he has set if his team is going to have any
collective success this year.

As for Meyer, he's having an incredible year. Friday, the
Duke coach decided he'd test Meyer. Declaring his two top
runners, Steve Wheeler and Scott Eden out for the meet with
colds, the Duke coach sent out a "rabbit" to set the pace for
the race, trying to see if Meyer was prey to mental blunders.
Meyer, unphased by this maneuver, ran his race and won easily
over the tricky Blue Devils.

THE SOCCER TEAM tied Maryland Sunday afternoon,
1-1 The Terps have only lost three ACC games in soccer in the
history of the conference. They almost lost their fourth.
Virginia, leading 1-0, lost the lead with only 51 seconds on the
clock when the Terrapins capitalized on a short fullback kick
by the Cavalier defense and an errant pass to score the tying
goal.

Most of the players and especially Coach Jim Stephens left
the field dejected after the near win. They thought they had
the game won and the tie was no consolation. But the team
played exceptionally and only bad fortune kept it from the
reward. Maryland is the best team in the conference and most
of its players are foreign and on scholarship. Virginia gives no
soccer scholarships and Sunday's showing was very creditable
when taken in full perspective.

THIS RESUME COULD NOT BE COMPLETE without
mention of Virginia's favorite athletic team, the basketball
Wahoos. Beginning practices yesterday saw a record turnout of
some 50 eager basketball players hoping to earn a spot on one
of the best teams in the nation.

In case you didn't know, mustachioed Barry Parkhill is
back to lead the Cavaliers again this year. His supporting cast
has changed but first-year recruits Wally Walker and Bob
Sefcik have been creating some noise over at U-Hall with their
pre-season practicing and either or both is given a chance to
start. If they don't, look for a team of Parkhill and Andy
Boninti or Al Drummond at guard, Gus Gerard and Jim
Hobgood at the forward positions and Lanny Stahurski at center
to start the season in December.